Final Fantasy: Heart of a Warrior
by DarkPhazonElite
Summary: A twenty-something royal assassin awakens from a three-year coma after a terrible tragedy. Aran Maleigha must press on and take revenge on the evil corporation that has wrecked the lives of himself and his family and friends. Aran and his companions embark on a journey, meet new friends, find love, and get the revenge that they thirst for. Rated M for violence and sexual content.
1. Prologue

**Ok, so this is an original story with characters that I made up. It is based off of Final Fantasy and contains several elements from the FF franchise, including but not limited to, a character named Cid and job classes, as well as nods to existing characters. **

**This is far more sexual than any FF game. **

**As for how to pronounce the protagonist's name, Aran Maleigha: Errin ma-LAY-ya. Ta-da!**

**Naturally, I do not own the Final Fantasy franchise.**

**Also, any fellow Metroid fans will appreciate the hero's name and a few references that I threw in there. :)**

**This is my first story I have ever written. I'm a noob, so keep any rude, crass reviews to yourself. Constructive criticism is welcome, but please be nice about it. Also, if you are reading my story and you like it, please please PLEASE let me know! Enjoy! :D**

* * *

_March 3rd, 2119. _"It's a boy!" The technician said happily. Two soon-to-be parents watched in awe as they saw their unborn son on the ultrasound screen.

"I've always wanted a son!" said the father, with tears of joy welling up in his eyes.

"Me too, and I think he will have a great man to look up to." said the mother with a smile as she squeezed her fiancée's hand.

"I'm so excited, Serileine! I can't wait until we are a family of three!" said the father with happy tears streaming down his face. Serileine's eyes welled up as well as she said, "Me neither. I love you so much, Aran!" They kissed.

* * *

Aran Maleigha and Serileine Lorin were a match made in heaven. They were a young couple, the young man a mere 20, almost 21, and the woman just 24. They met and fell in love two years before, after Aran graduated from the Seiyomari Academy. Aran was a handsome young man, average height of 5'11", kind, and smart. Serileine was an extraordinarily beautiful woman, slightly tall, 5'7", kind and gentle. She had the most stunning blue eyes Aran has ever seen and Serileine would often get lost in his sultry reddish brown eyes. Both had long, raven black hair and made a beautiful couple. They were inseparable. However, disaster struck and forever changed their lives.

* * *

_One month later. _"Wow, that stuff stinks! I don't know if I should be in here while you are doing that!" Serileine said to Aran as he was painting the nursery.

"Oh, it'll be fine, sweetie. You worry way too much, and that's worse for the baby than some random water based paint fumes, ya know?" said Aran with a mischievous grin.

Serileine sighed and said "You men don't worry about anything, do you?"

"It's not that, it's just that 'we men' tend to worry about things much more important than paint fumes!" replied Aran, laughing a little bit. Serileine rolled her eyes, shook her head and sighed, then smiled and said "Oh whatever, Aran. I guess I'm just a little stressed out from everything that's going on. Anyways, can I get you something to drink, dear?"

"Sure, I'll have a beer. I know my 21st birthday is next week, but it's not like I haven't had a drink before, courtesy of the King himself!" said Aran, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well I won't tell anyone if you don't!" said Serileine with a smile as she went to go get the beer. Within seconds, there was a loud explosion.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? SERILEINE ARE YOU OK?" shouted Aran as he threw the paint roller on the floor and darted toward the kitchen.

"I'm okay, Aran! It came from the direction of the castle!" yelled Serileine in a concerned tone.

"Dad, Saraiah, Markas! I have to go help them! Serileine, you get to the basement and stay hidden!"

"Please be careful, Aran!" They embraced and kissed passionately and then Aran put his gloves on and headed for the castle.

"Shit," Aran thought to himself. "I hope they are ok!" He ran faster, concern welling up within him.

"Hold it right there, boy!" screamed a large agent. There were three other men with him, all pointing guns at Aran. "We can't have any heroes today. That would ruin our plan and make our boss very upset!" said one of the lackeys in a snotty tone.

"Get the HELL outta my way you BASTARDS!" shouted Aran as he zipped toward them and knocked them all unconscious with a few kicks and punches. He spit on the pile of unconscious men and resumed his run to the castle, knocking out agents as they tried to stop him. Aran arrived at the castle and discovered that the explosion came from Markas firing a missile at the attackers and destroying the castle wall. It would seem that they were able to defend themselves quickly. Aran heaved a sigh of relief and ran toward his companions.

"Aran! You made it!" squealed Saraiah Rikkuo as she whacked an agent with her nunchucks.

"Bout time, Aran! Tha hell took ya so long?" yelled Markas Weston as he fired a round of bullets, taking down six agents.

"Pipe down will ya? I came as soon as I heard the explosion!" yelled Aran as he jumped into battle with his friends. "Is the king safe?" asked Aran as he kicked another agent in the abdomen.

"Yes, he and Uncle Alex are escorting the townspeople to the castle shelter right now!" replied Saraiah as she flung two kunai knives at two agents, killing them both.

"Damn it, we are outnumbered! We need backup!" shouted Markas as he fired another missile.

"Got ya covered! Ya better stay close to me!" yelled Aran as he raised his fist in the air, took a deep breath, and let out a loud ki-yap as he pounded the ground, completely shattering the large stone courtyard and knocking out and burying most of the agents.

"Thanks, man." said Markas, heaving a sigh of relief. "Ain't enough ammo in the world to get rid of all of 'em!"

"No problem, buddy!" said Aran, breathing heavily. "Man, that sure took it outta me though! Phew!"

Saraiah excitedly exclaimed, "Nice one, Aran! That was so cool!" Then, they heard another explosion, this time it was definitely not from Markas.

"DAMN IT! They are heading towards my house! Serileine is a sitting duck!" shouted Aran. "We need to get there, FAST! How the hell are we gonna do it?"

To which Saraiah yelled, "Aran! Markas! I can use the haste spell to get us there a lot faster! Ready?" Aran and Markas nodded. "Ok then. Cast Haste!" Saraiah shouted as she extended out her arms and a flash of red dust swirled around the trio. It suddenly felt as if they were given a heavy caffeine injection and they bolted towards Aran's house, slamming into agents as they passed through. They arrived at the house as the spell wore off, and it appeared that they made it in time. Serileine was waiting in the basement, armed with a potent stun pistol that Aran left with her for protection.

"Oh thank God, you're back! I was getting worried!" said Serileine as she threw her arms around Aran.

"I'm glad your ok, sweetheart!" said Aran.

"We're here to help you, we are going to escort you to the castle where you will be safe!" said Saraiah, holding out her hand.

"We're running outta time, ya'll! Lets move!" shouted Markas, gesturing towards the front door. The four of them filed out the front door, and headed toward the castle. Markas and Saraiah walked in front with their weapons drawn and Aran walked in the back, prepared to fight, while Serileine stayed in the middle with her stun pistol in hand. They began to cross a bridge that suspended several hundred feet above a traffic highway, and they were stopped by five agents. These agents were dressed differently, heavily armored and armed. "Stop right there! You'll have to get through us if you wish to pass!" yelled the leader.

"Oh we will, when we blow ya asses offa this bridge!" yelled Markas as he armed his missile launcher and fired it at them. They jumped out of the way and the missile blew a huge gap in the bridge. "Shit!" yelled Markas as he prepared his rapid fire guns.

"Dodge this, ya bastards!" yelled Aran as he jumped over the gap and began throwing punches and kicks. However, these agents were much tougher than the other ones they have fought, and Aran hadn't recovered his energy from the ground pound just yet. "Restrain him!" shouted the leader and the underlings complied.

Six more agents showed up and seized the other three. "Argh! Let me GO, you big jerks!" screamed Saraiah, struggling to break free.

"Ahhhhhhhh! Help me! ARAN!" screamed Serileine as she was being held down. "Oh HELL no! Get your filthy hands offa her!" shouted Aran as he managed to break free.

"Save her! Don't worry about us!" yelled Saraiah as Aran jumped over the gap to try and rescue Serileine. The agents who had Saraiah and Markas knocked them out with gas and left with their victims. Meanwhile, the four agents who had restrained Aran earlier tossed a powerful grenade in Aran's direction. "SHIT!" screamed Aran as the grenade went off and broke off the part of the bridge that he was standing on. He fell and managed to grab a piece of rebar that was protruding from the bridge. "NOOOOOOO!" screamed Serileine as she watched him fall.

"I'm ok, Serileine! I will NOT let them take you!" Aran tried to climb back up, but that part of the bridge was weak and could not support his weight much longer. _"Dammit, I'm out of energy. I've gotta muscle my way back up before this thing collapses!" _he thought to himself as he reached for a metal beam to pull himself up. The rebar started breaking through the bottom of the bridge. Serileine used her pistol and stunned the two agents who were holding her down and she scooted toward the edge. She laid on her side and reached down toward him and said "Grab on! I'll pull you up!" Aran extended his hand toward her but one of the agents recovered and grabbed her by the hair and jerked her away from the edge. "NO!" yelled Aran as he struggled to reach for a stable object. More of the rebar broke through. "Dammit!" he yelled.

"This is ridiculous!" yelled the leader. "Kill them!" One of the agents picked up a large stone and dropped it on Aran, causing him to let go of the rebar and fall into the highway. "NOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ARAN ARAAAAAAANNNNNN!" screamed Serileine as he fell. "No! Get away from me! What are you doing? NOOO-" as Aran fell, he saw a massive explosion which ended the life of his beloved Serileine and their unborn son. "NOOOO!" he screamed as he plunged into the highway, and everything went black.


	2. Moving On

_Three years later. _"What the-wha wha huh? Where am I?" exclaimed Aran as he abruptly awoke from his three year coma. "I'm alive. How the hell…?" He looked around the hospital room and first, his gaze fell on a calendar on the wall. "_April 6th-! 2122! Three years have passed?" _He was completely shocked by the amount of time that had passed. The table in front of him caught his attention. It had several cards and bouquets of flowers. _"Saraiah…she must be ok. Thank goodness." _The cards included birthday cards for the three birthdays he slept through, and a sympathy card. He looked at the sympathy card and had a flashback of events leading up to his hospitalization. He began bawling his eyes out as he remembered that his fiancée and unborn son were dead. He cursed and screamed, then he said to himself through gritted teeth "I swear each and every one of those bastards will die a slow and painful death if it's the last thing I do!"

He then heard footsteps and he quickly laid back down and faked unconsciousness. He listened as a familiar and unfriendly voice began speaking to him. "Looks like you are still alive. How lucky and unfortunate. Look how pathetic you are, lying here completely defenseless. HA!" It was the leader of the agents who killed Serileine. He prepared a syringe with a deadly poison. "What a shame, such a strong warrior reduced to a useless vegetable, unable to defend himself from someone about to inject a deadly poison into his I.V. Hahaha! What the-!" he turned towards Aran who was laying there with his reddish-brown eyes wide open and full of fury.

"Yeah, I don't think so, you dickless sack of shit!" he yelled as he lurched forward and grabbed his intruder by the collar. He hit him twice in the face as hard as he could then he snatched the syringe and stabbed the agent in the neck and injected the poison into him. Aran whispered into his ear in a demented tone, "Now who is pathetic and defenseless? Looks like I get the last laugh after all. Think, just think, as you slowly and painfully die." The agent squeaked and whimpered in pain. "Think about all of the lives you have ended. Think of all the lives you have RUINED. Think about my beloved Serileine and our unborn child, how you mercilessly killed them even though they did NOTHING TO YOU!" The agent weakly reaches up slowly in an attempt to grab Aran by the throat, but Aran grabbed him by the throat instead. "Don't even try to fight. It's useless."

"Please…" squeaked the agent, "have mercy…"

"MERCY! You want me to have MERCY! What about Serileine? What about our son? Where the hell was YOUR mercy?" snapped Aran as tears began streaming down his face. "You have some nerve begging me for mercy." He sniffled and then jabbed his two fingers into the agent's eyes, causing him to writhe in pain while grabbing his face. Aran watched him as a morbidly satisfied grin spread across his face. "Heh, I'd tell you to say hi to Serileine and our son for me, but I know you won't see them where you are going."

"You foolish boy, she-" the agent couldn't finish his sentence as he succumbed to the poison. Aran sighed and said "You're the one who is foolish." He spat in his face, slowly stood back up, and sat on his bed.

Just then, Saraiah burst into the room. "Oh my gosh Aran! You're ok! You're AWAKE! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" she squealed as she ran to him and threw her arms around him. "Ow ow, ok! Take it easy, I'm still recovering!" said Aran as he gently pushed her away. "Oh, sorry. I'm just so happy!" said Saraiah. "Just try again without tackling me, ok?" said Aran with a smile. Saraiah gave him a gentle hug. "Better?" "Much."

Saraiah turned her attention to the corpse on the ground. "Dang, what happened here? *gasp* Oh my gosh! That's the guy from-"

"Yeah. Poor sonuvabitch didn't see it coming. Hehe."

"Well, I'm glad to see you haven't changed! Ruthless and cold blooded as always. Yet you still have a heart of gold. How do you pull it off?"

"I guess it's a guy thing."

"I guess so! That's one of many things I like about you!" Saraiah said with a sweet smile.

Aran gave a sheepish grin and shrugged. "Anyways, just explain to me what happened after…you know…" he hung his head and his expression grew somber.

Saraiah's amused expression faded as well and she grew serious. "It was crazy. After we were knocked out, apparently my father and uncle showed up and killed the four agents who had Markas and me. That's what Daddy told me. He saw the explosion and ran to the gap and saw you hit the highway. It scared the poopy out of him!"

"I know exactly how he felt…." said Aran in a depressed, yet sarcastic tone. "Anyways, what next?"

Saraiah continued, "He called the medics and had Markas and me taken to the hospital, and we were released a few hours later. Meanwhile, he and Uncle Alex got into a vehicle and drove to where you landed. Parts of the bridge landed on you after the explosion. They saw what seemed to be you, you still had black hair and the same clothes, but BOY were you messed up! They thought you were dead and called an ambulance. They pulled you from the wreckage and you were considered dead at the scene. They were all surprised that you were even in one piece. Daddy was very upset. They put you in a bag to take you to the morgue. Daddy came to see us at the hospital as we were discharged and gave us the bad news. I don't think I've cried that hard since Mommy died! Not even when Renaiya got kidnapped and Ryuden left!"

"Um, sorry I scared ya?" Aran said sheepishly.

"Well you certainly did! But that doesn't matter now. You're alive! Anyways, apparently when they were removing you from the body bag at the coroner's place to perform an autopsy, they discovered that your heart was still beating, miraculously! It was a strong heartbeat, so they sent you to the Intensive Care wing so they could do their best to save you! They were able to stabilize you. I donated some of my blood to you, I think that may have helped!"

"Um, thank you!" said Aran.

"You're welcome Aran, I love you, I was willing to do what I could to save my big brother! Anyways, they used a lot of potions, surgery, and white magic to make you handsome again! Tee hee!"

Aran blushed.

"They did a great job, it's as if nothing happened to you. See!" She pointed to a mirror.

Aran looked and saw that his face was completely normal. He let out a sigh and said, "Well I guess that's a good thing." He looked at his arms and legs. Not a single scar. "_Must be Saraiah's blood. It helps her heal very quickly, and it seems to have had the same effect on me." _he thought to himself.

Saraiah began to speak again. "Anyways, they tried and tried to wake you up, but you were so stubborn!"

Aran rolled his eyes. "Not like I had a choice…."

"The good news was that you were slowly but surely improving! They were eventually able to remove your ventilator! Just this morning they removed your feeding tube and gave you a new I.V. to keep you hydrated! They had high hopes that you would be waking up sometime in the next few days!"

"Wow, sorry I freaked you all out. I promise I didn't do it on purpose…" said Aran sarcastically.

"Oh hush, we know that! We were still worried! No need to apologize!"

"Sorry…"

"Aran!"

"Ok ok! Alright! Anyways…what about…them?" Aran's expression grew somber yet again as he asked the dreaded question.

Saraiah closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm afraid that Daddy saw no sign of them. The explosion must have…vaporized them." Tears streamed down her cheeks as she said that. "All he found were these."

She pulled Serileine's stun pistol and engagement ring out of her bag and gave them to Aran. He took the pistol and ring from her and stared at them for a few moments, reminiscing the day he asked her to marry him, then cried bitterly. Saraiah embraced her brother as he sobbed and shook violently in her arms. She cried with him and stroked his hair as she said softly, "I'm so sorry, Aran."

"It's just not fair! Why did it have to be them? They never did anything wrong!" said Aran through tears.

"I…I don't know." said Saraiah softly as she released her embrace, looked at Aran, touched his face with both hands, and touched her forehead to his. Aran took her hands and they both closed their eyes and sat in silence for a few minutes.

Their silence was broken when a tall, pretty, dark haired female doctor of about 50 entered the room. "Oh! Mr. Aran, you're awake! Glad to see you are doing well!" she said happily.

"Yes, thank you so much, Dr. Frank! He was awake when I came in fifteen minutes ago! Aran, this is Dr. Samantha Frankewicz. We call her Dr. Frank for short." said Saraiah.

"A pleasure to meet you, ma'am." said Aran, extending his hand and forcing a smile after his recent breakdown. "Thank you for all you have done."

Dr. Frank shook his hand and smiled warmly, then the corpse on the floor caught her eye. "Oh my, what on earth happened?" she exclaimed.

"Oh that…" said Aran, sheepishly. "That's the guy who killed my fiancée and unborn son. He tried to kill me. It didn't go over too well for him. Perhaps I overdid it…" Aran grabbed his right shoulder and began rotating it slowly while wincing and letting out a big sigh.

Dr. Frank shook her head and sighed, then said "Well, I guess it's safe to assume you've recovered rather well, but you need to take it easy for one more day! You overexerted yourself, but I guess I can understand why!" She walked over to his I.V. drip and injected pain medication into the tubes. "That should take the edge off for a bit."

"Thank you, Dr. Frank."

"Oh, just call me Sam, no need for formalities anymore!"

"Ok, Sam."

Dr. Frank smiled, then said, "I will share the news of your awakening with your father and your friend Markas. I will have my assistant write up your discharge papers. But!" she paused and looked sternly at Aran, "BUT! You need to relax for at least 24 hours! I know it'll be difficult, but it's VITAL in your recovery! You hear? I better not see you again for a while!"

"Yes ma'am, Dr. Frank, I mean, _Sam._ I'll _try." _said Aran, shrugging his shoulders.

"You better. Saraiah, you make sure of it!"

"Will do, Sam!" said Saraiah, playfully pointing a kunai knife at Aran. Aran rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh.

"Anyways, I'm going to get those papers for you, I'll return shortly." said Dr. Frank as she left the room.

"Crud. I don't like sitting around doing nothing! This blows." whined Aran, folding his arms across his chest.

"I understand Aran, but you don't want to end up back here, do ya?" said Saraiah, holding out her arms and facing her palms upward.

"Nah, three years is freaking long enough." said Aran.

Saraiah's cell phone started ringing. "It's Daddy! Just a sec. Hey Daddy! Yes! It's true he's awake! Yes, I'm so happy too…." Saraiah continued her telephone conversation as Aran began to reminisce about how he became a part of the Rikkuo family.

"_Saraiah is not my sister by blood. Her father, the good King Cid, took me and my cousin Ryuden Lenore in after our parents were killed twenty years ago. There was a scary, nasty bitch of a woman and a huge monster. The woman was Margine Rikkuo, Cid's older sister who was exiled twenty five years ago after she plotted to assassinate the king in order to claim the throne. She was never right in the head, she had twisted ideas and she was deemed unfit to rule the kingdom of Seiyomari. The monster was a result of one of her sick and twisted experiments, Ultima Weapon. He was a terrifying monster. I had to watch him brutally murder my mother while my father was shot to death by Margine's henchmen, right before my eyes. I managed to escape from the house and found my 2 year old cousin Ryuden wandering around, crying, saying, 'Mommy and Daddy are broken. Mommy and Daddy have big boo boos. Mommy and Daddy are asleep and won't wake up. They are broken.' I took him by the hand and looked for a place to hide. However, that evil bitch and that bastard monster found us. I thought we were finished, then something strange happened to me. I was frightened and I screamed, and it seemed involuntary, I reached for a stick to use as a weapon and that stick was a piece of rebar that was stuck in a large, piece of rock that broke off of a building. However, when I grabbed that stick the rock that was attached to it seemed weightless and it went sailing, and it hit Margine and the stick impaled her. It would seem I had an unexplained burst of strength. Ultima Weapon was about to retaliate when the good King Cid, Queen Sarah, and their troops showed up. The henchmen were quickly defeated and Ultima Weapon was injured. Margine ordered Ultima Weapon to remove the rock and stick that pinned her down, and then she ordered Ultima Weapon and the few remaining henchmen to retreat. King Cid and Queen Sarah asked us what happened, then they took us home with them and raised us as their own. They injected Ryuden and me with Seiya DNA, which was their race. They intended to raise us as warriors." _

Aran's thoughts were interrupted when Dr. Frank returned with the discharge papers. "Ok Aran, you are free to go as soon as your father and Markas show up. Remember what I said earlier!"

"Of course." came the reply.

Dr. Frank removed his I.V. then had him sign some of the papers. "Here's a prescription for your pain medication. My son invented this one, it's really effective."

"Well tell him I said 'Thank you!'."

"Well hopefully soon you can thank him yourself! I would love for him to meet you two, especially you!" She looked at Saraiah and winked. "She's such a good woman, and so pretty, Aran."

Saraiah blushed and giggled. "Thanks, Sam."

Aran laughed and said "Of course she is, but she has a boyfriend already, ya know?"

"Yeah….about that." said Saraiah, folding her arms as an annoyed expression spread across her face.

"What happened with Adam?" asked Aran.

"That big jerk is dead to me! While you were sleeping, instead of comforting and supporting me in my time of need, he started getting all jealous and mean and started accusing me of liking you, you know, _liking_ you."

"_I wish…" _Aran thought to himself.

"I mean, gross! You are all cute and handsome and buff and all, and we aren't _really_ brother and sister but you and I were raised together almost our whole life! I know we had a relationship and stuff felt good and it seemed right for a bit but NO! I can't do it. I just can't! I don't know what got into Renaiya and Ryuden's head…awkward! Anyways, he even tried to hit me once and I kicked his ass all over the castle and then dumped his sorry ass! Just a week later he got a new girlfriend, and she's just so trashy and not even that pretty! I'm guessing that she is rather generous if you know what I mean…"

"Yeah, I hate girls like that. Takes the intrigue out of it. That's one thing I loved about _her._ Kept me waiting for four months and when it happened…wow." Aran turned beet red and crossed his legs, then frowned again. "I miss her so much."

"Me too Aran. She was such a lady. I really looked up to her. I hope I can find a man who would appreciate the fact that I'm not easy and want more than sex from me."

Aran began thinking to himself and reminiscing again. "_I'm sitting right here, but I want _that_ as well. Oh do I want to make you happy, physically and emotionally again. _

_Oh shit, what is wrong with me? I pretty much just lost Serileine and I'm already wanting to take Saraiah into my arms and please her so much again. _

_Ok, so I'm really not some creepy bastard, I'll elaborate. We had a brief relationship after graduation. Saraiah was just three years old when I went to live with them. I'm six months older than her. She was so cute and sweet. We played together often, her, Ryuden, Renaiya, and I. Her older brother Saroku was a dick who was jealous of me, but I'm not going there right now. _

_The four of us grew up together, we became the best of friends. Renaiya was really pretty and I always admired her as a woman. However, we never clicked in that way. I never really had a big crush on her beyond innocent admiration. It would seem that Ryuden took a liking to her in that way. _

_Anyways, when I was 16, I've taken notice of Saraiah. Wow. What a beautiful, sexy young woman she's become. That gorgeous red hair, those soft, kissable lips, those enchanting blue eyes, her soft, fair skin….oh and that body. My god that body. I've never been into really busty women, and she was the perfect size. Also, her hips and her ass…oh the curves. Not too big, not too small. Everything just fit well on her 5'5" frame. She was in such good shape. _

_We've known each other for so long as well, and she has such a vibrant personality. I was always happy around her. She always had faith in me through my struggles at the academy. I fell in love with her. I wanted so much to embrace her, to kiss her passionately, and when the time was right, to get as close to her body and heart as possible. Yes, I often fantasized about her. I'm a guy, it's what we do. _

_However, my dreams came crashing down after she ended our brief relationship. Sure, she found me attractive, and she liked me as a person, but she was 'too weirded out by it'. _

_Yes, at an academy formal dance event hosted for the new school year, a few months after our graduation, we went together. Saraiah had just turned 18, and I was emancipated from the legal bonds of the Rikkuo family. I had taken back my birth surname of Maleigha upon my 18__th__ birthday that past April. This was my opportunity to make a move. _

_She looked so beautiful in that vibrant light blue dress, it really brought out her eyes and flattered her body so well. We danced a little and retreated to a balcony, then it happened. We were holding hands, the way lovers do. She stood close to me and laid her head on my chest. I placed my arms around her and she did the same to me. I held her close to me. Chills went down my back. Our hearts were racing. She looked up at me with those blue eyes, full of passion, her full, pink lips longing for mine. She touched my face and lightly caressed my neck. It was electrifying. I caressed her cheek and pressed my lips to hers. Oh they were so soft. My body turned to jelly and my pants started getting a little tight. My hands traveled to her waist and I caressed her body. She caressed my hair, which was tied back in a neat ponytail, and placed her hand on the back of my neck as she tilted her head, parted her lips, and gently swept her tongue over my lips. I parted mine and invited her soft tongue to caress mine. It was so amazing. We stood there and kissed so passionately for several minutes. I was in heaven and I could feel the passion from her, in the way she breathed and let out a few sensual sighs. My pants were growing even tighter as she pressed her hips into mine. I unsuccessfully fought to suppress a pleasure-induced moan, the sensation was overwhelming. _

_It was inevitable. I suggested we head to my house that I just bought after graduation. She agreed and we headed there as fast as we could. We arrived and she slowly let down that beautiful, soft, long red hair…and she asked me to help her out of her dress. I let down my long, rather silky black hair and removed my suit jacket and shirts and eagerly fulfilled her request. Her sheer, black underwear gently hugged each and every crevice of her amazing body. I slid my hands over her tantalizingly soft skin, around her back to release the garments that held her perky, womanly curves in place. She ran her fingers through my hair and caressed my well-toned chest and let out a lustful moan as she pulled me in for another deep, passionate kiss. She eagerly relieved me of my increasingly tight pants so there was nothing between us. She pulled me back in, and the sensations of her soft, bare skin against mine was overwhelming. Yet another lustful moan escaped my mouth. She lightly kissed my cheek, and lightly kissed my ear and whispered, lustfully, "Aran…I want you now." _

_Without going into further detail, I can say that what happened after that had to have been the best feelings of my life. It was the first time for both of us. I had to be gentle at first but after a few minutes she really got into it and we made each other very happy. We slept late that morning and repeated the previous night's event a few times. _

_My fantasy had become a reality and it was even better than I had imagined. Sure, it seems that we moved pretty fast, but we have known each other forever so we were really comfortable with each other. I never lost any respect for Saraiah after we had made love. I knew I was a special case. She had a hard time with other guys because lot of them DID only want to sleep with her and she had too much respect for herself to be treated as a piece of meat. She told me that none of them looked as good I do either, and it was impossible to say no to me. She said that she hoped that I didn't think any less of her for sharing her body with me so quickly. _

_Anyways, our relationship went on for a month and then she dropped the bomb on me. She got very scared and seemed to have fallen out of love with me. She was crying a lot and kept saying how stupid and dirty she felt. She told me she can't be with me because her sisterly feelings toward me were much stronger than her attraction and romantic feelings toward me. It ripped my heart out. I didn't take the news so well and I cut her off for a good month or so. _

_She met this guy named Adam Martine a few weeks later, right about the time I met Serileine. She was very beautiful as well, and very kind hearted. She wasn't a fighter. She worked on computers and did more of the technical stuff. She encouraged me to forgive Saraiah, and after some choice words were used on me, she forgave me and things went back to normal as if nothing had happened. _

_Adam kind of rubbed me the wrong way. He didn't seem to like me much (like I gave two shits) and tried to forbid Saraiah from seeing me. He knew that we were raised together, and he knew that I was her ex-boyfriend. _

_I don't intend to sound conceited but he seemed to be a bit of a downgrade. Don't get me wrong, he was taller, about 6'3", while I'm just 5'11". He appeared to be in good shape. He was 21 at the time, I was 18, almost 19. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, lightly tanned skin. I'm white as a ghost. He's fully Seiya, I'm just a human enhanced with Seiya DNA. He seemed like a preppy rich kid, maybe the son of a lord or count. I don't know. I'm rich too, but I don't let my money go to my head. I like to help people. _

_What made me see him as a downgrade was this: Her type had always been dark hair, dark eyes, tough fighter, more on the dark side of fashion. (Ya know, me!) This guy was not a fighter. I could kick his ass with both hands tied behind my back. (Then again I could do that to a LOT of people.) He was also dumber than a pile of shit. I'm no super genius, but I guess I'm at least above average. I did get all A's in school. He's rather selfish as well and is very reluctant to be charitable. She seemed fairly happy though, so whatever. She and I did spend time together despite his wishes. He was obviously afraid of me, so he did nothing, at least not to me. He was an arrogant prick who thought that women were inferior to men. I hate guys like that. I'd like to neuter them with my bare hands. This relationship went on, and they were still together when we were attacked. Now I am here, and they have broken up. What a shame she's not into me anymore." _

Aran sighed loudly, adjusted himself, then said in response to Saraiah, "I'm sure you will find him someday. Sucks that Adam was such a douchebag."

"It's ok, he _was_ a dud after all, he really wasn't that hot….like you…." Saraiah said sheepishly as she touched her index fingertips together.

Aran sighed and glanced over at Dr. Frank, who shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh Aran, I'm so sorry about what happened between us, I really hope you understand and aren't mad at me! Ohhhhhh this is so frustrating! Ohhhhhhhhhh!" Saraiah said in a panicked tone as she grabbed the sides of her head and spun around in circles. "I just can't suppress my sisterly feelings and you deserve better!"

"Just chill Saraiah. I did find that girl, but she's gone. Don't beat yourself up. I think I'm done with women for a while. Time for Aran to fly solo until he finds the right girl, whenever and whoever that may be. I know Serileine would want that for me."

"I think she would want that too, Aran, and so do I! You deserve it." said Saraiah as she gave Aran a hug.

"Ok, well anyways, I've got to get going. Saraiah, Aran, I think you both would love my son, Dylan. I hope to introduce him soon. He's just so busy lately! You two take care!"

"See ya Dr. Frank, and tell everyone who helped save my life that I said thank you and will see to it that you all receive a great gift!" said Aran with a genuine smile.

"See you later, Sam! Thanks so much for saving him! We will send you a gift!" said Saraiah excitedly.

"You two are very sweet. We are all very happy that you survived, Aran!" said Dr. Frank as she left the room.

"What a nice lady. She's really competent! She and her husband Dr. Charlie Frank did a great job saving you! Their son is a few years older than us. He has been taking many classes and traveling all over the universe, doing research, helping people, and delivering medicine and other medical supplies! Also….I hear he's really handsome and a real gentleman! I hope to meet him soon!" said Saraiah excitedly.

"I hope so too. I'm sure he would be better than that dick Adam!" said Aran, punching his palm. Then came a knock at the door, and the door opened.

"Daddy! Markas! See! He's ok! He's been cleared for release!" exclaimed Saraiah as King Cid Rikkuo VII and Markas Weston entered the room.

Cid approached Aran's bed and gave him a hug as he said, "Good to have you back, son! You look great!"

"Dad….thank you. I wish I felt great, though! Markas! It's good to see you." said Aran as he hugged Cid back.

"Welcome back, buddy!" said Markas as he went to Aran's bed, shook his hand and gave him a hearty thump on the back. "I'm sorry about Serileine, that's gotta blow, man." said Markas sympathetically.

"Yes, I'm terribly sorry, son." said King Cid, empathetically. "I know just how you feel."

"I guess so, Dad." said Aran, somberly. He continued, in a more hopeful tone, "But Serileine wouldn't want me to mope and mourn for the rest of my life. She would want me to move on, and hopefully one day, save Ryuden and Renaiya. Maybe even _him._"

Everyone in the room grew silent. The "him" that Aran was referring to was Cid's estranged son, Saroku. He is now 25 years old and he grew up being jealous of Aran. Cid would appropriately discipline Saroku when he bullied or picked on Aran, and Saroku took it very personally. Things got worse and he eventually left to go work for Margine, seven years ago. To make matters worse, he aided in the kidnapping of his sister Renaiya. It is unknown what Margine's motives were. "I just pray that they are all ok, somehow. Hmmm." said Aran as he folded his arms across his chest once again.

"Phew, what is that smell? Aran! Man, I think you could use a shower!" said Markas, fanning his face.

Aran smelled his armpits and said, "Yeah, I guess I got a little stagnant after being asleep for three years! But….that disgusting smell ain't me!" He looked over the other side of his bed to the corpse on the ground. "Oh…here's our culprit." he said, covering his nose with his hospital gown and pointing to the floor next to his bed. King Cid and Markas walked around to the other side of the hospital bed.

"What the- it's Rufus Martine! He's the Sumestris agent who lead the assault on Seiyomari!" exclaimed Cid. "What happened to him?"

Aran casually put his hand up and said, "I did. Guess I caught him by surprise. He went down rather easily. What a wimp." He recapped the details of what happened to Cid and Markas. They nodded, and then Markas said, "Well, we gotta dispose of his body. How should we do it?"

"I'd say throw him in an acid pool, I think I'd enjoy that." said Aran, with an amused expression on his face.

"So would I." said King Cid, with a vengeful look on his face. "Anyways, I think we should bag him up and throw him into the crematorium at the funeral home." Aran, Saraiah, and Markas all nodded in agreement.

"I'll go ask the coroners for a bag." said Markas, then he left the room.

"Martine….that's Adam's last name, isn't it?" shouted Aran. "Oh my god, don't tell me….!" Aran threw his blankets off and jumped out of the bed, then yelped in pain and immediately collapsed to the floor.

"Aran!" exclaimed Saraiah as she went to help him up.

"I'm ok, but my legs hurt so damn much! Shit." said Aran, taking a deep breath.

"That's probably a result of your bones being shattered and your muscles being torn from the fall. They were mended but they are still sore since you haven't used the muscles for so long." said King Cid, as he unfolded the wheelchair that Dr. Frank had left in the room. "It's going to take a while for you to be 100%."

"Damn it." said Aran as Saraiah helped him back onto the bed.

"It's true, Aran. Rufus is Adam's father." said Saraiah with a concerned expression. "It almost guaranteed that Adam will try to come after us when he finds out."

"Son of a bitch…" said Aran, gruffly.

"Well, I do have a few Elixirs that I can give you to speed up your recovery, Aran." said King Cid, handing him a bag. "There's one in there, along with a change of clothes. Drink the elixir then shower and get dressed so we can go home."

"Alright." Aran drank the potion, then said, "Holy crap, this stuff is awesome! I feel great! It's kinda sweet." He got off the bed and took the bag into the bathroom to shower and change.

"I'm back, let's bag this guy and get the hell outta here!" said Markas, holding up the body bag. The three of them walked over to Rufus's corpse and put him in the body bag and zipped it up.

A few minutes later, Aran came out of the bathroom and said, "All right! Let's scram from this place! I'm getting serious cabin fever here!"

"Wow, looking good, Aran!" said Saraiah with a smile as she gave the cliché "hottie alert whistle".

Aran's outfit reflected a creative sense of style. It was a black, short sleeved fishnet shirt with a dark green tank top over it. The tank top laced up in the back and had a gothic style. It stopped just above his pant line, slightly exposing his fishnet-covered, muscular midriff. The pants were dark green cargo pants, one leg cut off a few inches above his knee, exposing fishnet covered skin, and the other leg long and tucked into his black lace-up boot. His boots were sleek and lightweight with an inch rise. He had a black, short-sleeved, long leather jacket over his outfit. His long black hair was damp and tied into a ponytail, with his long, chin length bangs elegantly framing his notably handsome, fair skinned face, which had somewhat full, defined lips, and deep reddish brown eyes that stood out more than anything else. Yes, he was a sight for sore eyes. "Thanks, Saraiah. Lets go home."

"Right. Let's get rid of this dead dirt bag and get our long sleeping friend a good meal!" said Markas as he threw the body bag over his shoulder and left the room.

"Sounds great, I'm famished!" said Aran as he followed Markas out the door.

Cid and Saraiah left as well, and Saraiah said to Cid, "Daddy, we should have a feast in celebration of Aran's homecoming! What do you think?" "I think that's a great idea. I will have the kitchen staff get on it as soon as we arrive home!" said Cid as he placed his arm around his daughter's shoulders.


	3. The Armasa Group

_April 7, 2122. "_I need you to track these three warriors down and eliminate them." a man's voice said.

"Yes sir, understood." said a female voice. She looked at the photos. One was of a fair skinned, black haired young man in his 20's with reddish brown eyes, another of a black man in his 30's, and the third of a cute, young, redheaded woman, also in her 20's. "They look familiar. Who are they?" asked the woman.

"They are three vigilantes who want to save the universe and rid it of evil. We can't have that. Their names are: Aran Maleigha, age twenty-four, Markas Weston, age thirty-three, and Saraiah Rikkuo, age twenty-three." said the man.

The woman, tall, blonde and blue eyed, turned her attention to the photo of the young black-haired, fair skinned man. "_Hmm…Aran Maleigha. He's very handsome. This ought to be interesting. Yes, I remember him. The adopted son of the king." _She then looked at the photo of the redhead. "_The king's daughter, Princess Saraiah. Her sister was kidnapped three years ago. I hope she's ok." _

"Any objections, Leina?" said the man, named Bill Jenson, who is an agent for Sumestris, a corrupt intelligence agency hell-bent on universal domination. They are based on the planet Alterra, the homeworld of Aran and his family and friends. Sumestris has outposts throughout the universe.

"No sir, of course not." said Leina, gathering up the photos and leaving the briefing room. Leina Vance is an agent for Sumestris. 5'9" in height, blonde, and blue eyed, she is very beautiful. She wields a large sword and is one of the strongest women in the universe. She is about 25-26 years old. "_Well, here goes!" _Leina thought to herself as she boarded her gunship and headed out on her mission.

* * *

"All aboard, ready for takeoff!" shouted Saraiah as she fired up the engines on her large warship.

"Ready!" responded Aran and Markas. King Cid, Alex, and a few other people waved goodbye as they began to take off.

"Alright! 3-2-1.…lets go!" Saraiah began accelerating the ship down the runway and then took off into the cosmos. "Man, that is so much fun!" she squealed.

"Yeah, I get a rush every time!" said Aran.

"You are one of the best pilots out there, after all!" said Markas.

"Thanks, I learned from the best!" said Saraiah, referring to her father. Aran and Markas nodded in agreement. "Ok, we are officially in space. We can remove our safety harnesses now!" said Saraiah as she unbuckled her harness.

"Alright!" said Aran as he stood up. "Who wants coffee?"

"I do! I do!" exclaimed Saraiah as she jumped up and down, raising her hand.

"I think caffeine's tha last thing ya need, Saraiah!" said Markas as Aran smirked and nodded in agreement. Markas continued, "Aran, I'll take a cup, one sugar, no cream."

Saraiah interjected, "Oh shut up, Markas! Aran, you better get me some!"

Markas laughed and Aran said, "Aight Saraiah, but I ain't peeling ya off the wall again!"

"Fair enough! Hehe." said Saraiah, smiling. "Lotsa cream, two sugars, Aran! Thanks so much!" Aran left and went into the ship's kitchen.

"ARAN! I'll be in the lounge!" said Saraiah.

"So will I!" said Markas.

"Aight! I'll bring some snacks too, when the coffee's done!" replied Aran.

* * *

"_Ok, that looks like Saraiah's warship." _Leina thought to herself. "Bill! I have spotted the Armasa's ship!" she announced though her comm system.

"Well done, Leina. Now you need to infiltrate without detection." said Bill.

"Yes sir." said Leina.

"Do not fail me, Leina."

"I won't. I promise."

Armasa is the name that Aran, Saraiah, and Markas gave themselves before they set out on their mission. They made themselves known and their reputation has spread throughout the universe just within a day. Aran made a public announcement of Rufus Martine's death during his welcome back feast and used it as an example of what will happen "to all of ya dumbass evil bastards!" as he put it. The name Armasa is rather simple, it's comprised of the first two letters of each member's name. Ar from Aran, Ma from Markas, and Sa from Saraiah. Leina was ordered to assassinate all three of them and bring their bodies back to Bill.

"_Ok, so how am I going to do this?" _Leina thought to herself. She decided to hack into the Armasa's ship's comm system.

"Ok, so Daddy is supposed to be sending the backup supplies now. They are finally ready. I think some of those workers need to be trained better, maybe even replaced!" Saraiah's voice came over the comm system.

"_That's my chance." _Leina thought to herself.

"When should it be arriving?" asked Markas, as heard over the comm system.

"Probably in an hour, maybe less." came Saraiah's reply.

"_Perfect. I need to get to Alterra as soon as possible and sneak onto that cargo ship." _she disconnected from Armasa's comm system, and then said "Bill, did you hear all of that?"

"Yes I did. Now get to it!"

"Yes sir." She was right by Alterra, so she set her ship to land. She landed her ship at the Seiyomari Air and Space Center. She quickly changed into a business suit and placed her clothes and collapsible sword in a shoulder bag. No one seemed to suspect anything. She headed for the outgoing cargo bay. When she arrived, she was stopped by two guards. "Ma'am, you may not enter without authorization."

"Right, I'm here to inspect the cargo for the next delivery." Leina displayed a fake ID, and the guards let her pass. She walked right over to the cargo ship bound for Armasa's ship. They were about to close the cargo door and send the ship off. "_Just in time." _she thought to herself.

She walked up to the worker who was about to shut the door. "What are you doing here, ma'am?" said the worker. She walked right up to him then said "I'm sorry." as she knocked him unconscious. She picked him up and placed him next to a pile of boxes, out of sight from the guys in the cockpit. She removed his glove, and placed it on her hand, then ran to the back of the ship. "Everything ready to go?" came a voice from the cockpit. She stuck out her gloved hand and gave a thumbs up, then quickly jumped into the cargo area and shut the door. The ship departed, and she changed back into her regular clothes.

Within half an hour, the cargo ship arrived at the Armasa warship. She zipped herself into a large bag, so as not to be discovered. Several crewmembers came to unload the cargo ship. Two people came and moved the bag that she was in. She remained perfectly still, and thankfully she was amongst several blankets so no one would make out the shape of a person in the bag.

"Wow, this bag weighs a ton!" came a voice, and Leina thought to herself "_Well, that's not very nice!" _

"Well, there are probably a few weapons in there, wrapped in blankets. What do you expect?" came another voice.

"Yeah, you're probably right." They set the bag down and left. Leina waited for a few minutes, then slowly unzipped the bag so she could peek and make sure that she was alone. She climbed out of the bag and looked around the large storage room. She spotted a large air vent, and quickly climbed into it.

* * *

"I think I could use another cup, and I'm STARVING!" said Saraiah very quickly, running in place and rubbing her stomach.

"Oh come on, Saraiah. You don't need more coffee! You've had three cups already!" said Aran, placing his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to hold her still. "But I could whip up some dinner."

"Ok ok, decaf!" said Saraiah.

"I can do decaf for ya." said Aran. "You hungry, Markas?"

"I could eat, for sure." said Markas. "and thanks, man. You definitely prove that men can cook, for sure!"

"Well…I kinda taught myself after one too many lousy meals over the years!" said Aran. "but thanks!"

"I hear you both!" said Saraiah. "I can't wait to see what you cook this time! Thank you so much!"

"No problem. I'll be back in a bit." said Aran as he left the lounge.

"Ok sooooo, what is there that I can cook…" he said to himself as he surveyed the kitchen cabinets and fridge. "Ah ha! I can fry up some fish and fries. They'd love that." he removed a bag of fish from the freezer and began chopping up potatoes very quickly.

"Now where is that fryer?" he asked himself as he walked across the kitchen to a closet. "Ah, here it is. What the-!"

"HIYAAAAAAAAAAA!" came a loud woman's voice. Aran quickly turned and delivered a hard turning sidekick to the intruder's abdomen. "Ugh!" the woman screamed as she flew across the kitchen and slammed into the cabinets.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Aran shouted angrily.

Leina Vance stood up and said "I'm here to kill you!" and she attempted to punch Aran in the face.

Aran blocked her punch, grabbed her arm and pinned her against a wall. "I will ask you again. Who are you and what are you doing here?" he asked again, in a quieter, more gruff tone.

Leina said nothing as she shoved him away and armed her sword. She swung it at him and slashed his thigh, then kicked him in the stomach and knocked him over.

"Ugh! You will pay for that!" he said, angrily.

She just looked at him confidently and held her sword in front of her. Aran quickly got back up and she swung at him again, this time he dodged, pushed her sword mid-swing into the wall, and while she was trying to pull it out of the wall, he balled up his fist, and with a loud ki-yap and to Leina's horror he punched right through the sword and snapped it in two, then grabbed Leina by her shirt and slammed her down on a table, causing it to collapse. "Ugh!" she screamed as she hit the ground and closed her eyes. She seemed to be down for the count.

Aran went to the kitchen's comm system to alert Saraiah and Markas of the intruder, so they could contain her. While Aran was distracted, Leina came to and bolted out the door.

"HEY! Get back here!" Aran shouted as he chased after her. He set off the alarm and started shouting at people. "SOMEBODY STOP HER!"

"Bill? Bill? Do you copy? DO YOU COPY? Leina screamed into her concealed communication device. No answer. "BILL! I'VE BEEN COMPROMISED!" Nothing. "Aggh!" she screamed as a nunchuck bar slammed into her shins, causing her to fall. Next thing she knew, she was in a headlock and was being dragged into a room.

"You're not going ANYWHERE!" came a female voice. She looked up to see that she had been attacked by Saraiah.

"Damn it!" yelled Leina. She kicked upwards and landed a blow in Saraiah's face.

"OW!" screamed Saraiah as she grabbed her nose. "You're in BIG trouble now!" she bolted forward and slammed her fist into Leina's chest, sending her flying backwards.

"Ugh!" Leina screamed and stood back up, then yelled, "This is ridiculous! I'm getting out of here!"

"Oh no you are not! I'm not going to let you!" shouted Saraiah as she ran towards Leina and engaged her in hand to hand combat. Many kicks and punches were exchanged, then Saraiah grabbed Leina by the shoulders, jerked her forward, and slammed her knee into Leina's stomach. Leina screamed as a few drops of blood flew out of her mouth, then as she fell, Saraiah delivered a hard blow to the back of her head, then everything went black.

"Whoa, nice work!" said Aran as he walked in.

"Aran! How long were you standing there? I could have used a little assistance!" she said in an exasperated tone as she lightly punched him in the shoulder.

"Well, it looks like you handled it, and I just enjoyed watching two hot women duke it out!" said Aran with a devious grin.

"Oh shut up. Men!" Saraiah said as she threw her hands in the air.

"Whoa, Saraiah, you really laid the beat-down on her!" said Markas as he walked in and looked at Leina's limp, unconscious body lying face down on the floor.

"And where were YOU?" said Aran to Markas.

"Dude, I just got the hell out the way, that's where I was!" said Markas, putting his hands up by his head.

"Well, maybe all of that coffee wasn't such a bad thing after all!" said Aran. "Anyways, we need to tie her up, wake her up, and start interrogating her."

So they picked her up and tied her to a chair, then Saraiah went to the kitchen and filled up a few cups with water, and returned to the lounge and started dumping the water on Leina's head. "Hey! Wake up!" she yelled. She threw another cup of water in her face, and Leina came to. Markas was pointing a gun at her, while Saraiah unsheathed her Tanto knife and held it to her throat. "Ok, lady. There are many ways in which we can do this." said Saraiah. "You can start talking or I can cut off your fingers, or Markas can shoot you in the kneecap!"

"Or…" said Aran, slowly walking towards Leina and undoing his ponytail and letting his raven black locks fall over his muscular shoulders, "or…I can resort to other tactics to make you talk." he said in a suggestive tone as he touched her chin. "Such a looker. I'd hate to see you in pain, sweetheart."

"Aran, good grief!" snapped Saraiah as she pulled him away.

Leina turned her head away, flustered. She then looked up and said "None of those. I'll just tell you the truth."

"Ok, then let's hear it, babe." said Aran, crossing his arms.

"Ok, well here's the story. I am actually working for Sumestris undercover. I was sent to gather information and attempt to destroy them from within. They sent me here to assassinate the three of you. Sorry, by the way." she looked over at Aran who was then healing his wound.

"Keep talking." he said with a straight face.

"Ok, well I had to protect my cover, so I agreed. I snuck aboard a cargo ship and infiltrated this warship. That's when I attacked you and then was captured. I have a bad feeling that Sumestris is very suspicious of me and sent me in hopes that you guys would kill me."

"Sounds like something those Sumestris bastards would do." said Aran with a snarl. He motioned to Markas and Saraiah to pull back their weapons. "I believe you. So tell me who you are really working for." Leina looked at her wrists, which were tied to the arm rails. "Oh, sorry. Just playing it safe. Saraiah, cut her loose."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

"Fine." Saraiah hastily cut the ropes from Leina's wrists and ankles, then pointed the knife at Leina and said, "Don't even think about running away."

Leina replied in a snarky tone with an amused expression on her face, "Wasn't planning on it!"

"Hmph." said Saraiah.

"Ahem! Anyways, I asked you a question, sweety. By the way, what is your name?" said Aran in a calm tone.

"Vance. Leina Vance." she replied.

"Leina. How beautiful." he said in a flirty tone. Saraiah rolled her eyes, and Markas shrugged. Aran continued, "Anyways, _Leina_, who do you work for?"

"I am a knight, under King Cid's command-"

"Hold on a second!" exclaimed Saraiah. "You work for my father?"

"Yes I do, it would seem he thought I was a better fit for the job than YOU!" said Leina, snidely.

"Oh REALLY? You wanna say that again, bitch?" snapped Saraiah, advancing toward Leina.

Leina stood up and said, "YES! I'm a better fighter than YOU! You just caught me off guard earlier!"

"Is that SO? How about we find out NOW?" shouted Saraiah as she shoved Leina.

Leina shoved her back but Aran quickly intervened and snapped, "THAT'S ENOUGH, YOU TWO! Saraiah, back the hell off! Leina, you sit your ass down and watch your attitude. I just snapped your sword with my bare hands, after all, so I'd pipe down if I were you!"

"Hmph." Leina responded. Saraiah growled, folded her arms and sat down several feet away.

"Markas, put it down." said Aran, since Markas pointed his gun at Leina when she and Saraiah started their shoving match. Markas complied. "AHEM! Anyways, Leina, tell us more." said Aran, turning his attention to her.

"_God he is hot...those eyes…that hair…" _Leina thought to herself. She then continued speaking. "Anyways, as I was saying, before I was _rudely_ interrupted…" she turned her head towards Saraiah, Saraiah flipped her the bird. Leina glared and then turned back to Aran and continued, "I work for the King. He's a great man. My family is very stuck up and think they are better than everyone else, even the Rikkuos. They are Count Matthias and Countess Emma Vance. My mom isn't as bad, but she's still rather snobbish. They don't like the fact that King Cid brought "trash", meaning you and Ryuden, into the family."

"Asshole." muttered Aran.

"Yeah…" said Leina. "Anyways, they forbade me to associate with the Rikkuos, and it angered me so much. They tried so hard to control me for the longest time. They even harshly disciplined my younger sister when they saw her being nice to Ryuden one day. They beat her and locked her in her room without meals for two days. I was forced to rebel eventually."

"My god, how awful! That's bullshit!" said Aran as he cracked his knuckles.

"Yeah man, that's messed up!" said Markas. Saraiah started scooting closer.

Leina continued, "After that happened, I cut them off and went to work for the King, offering my skills as a knight. I was trained in the Seiyomari Academy by Sir Alex Barret, your uncle, the late queen's brother."

"Ah yes. I vaguely remember seeing you a long time ago." said Aran.

"Shortly afterward, my sister, Heather, went missing." said Leina as a sad look spread across her face. "We believe Sumestris is behind it. There are a lot of children and teenagers who went missing around the same time."

"Yukari…" said Markas in a somber tone. "My 15 year old sister. My parents too."

"Do you think they took Renaiya as well?" asked Leina.

"No, it was Margine. My aunt." said Saraiah, her bored expression turning sad. "Margine…I'm not sure what she plans on doing to Renaiya, if she isn't dead already…sniffle…"

"I'm sure she's ok, somehow." said Aran putting his hands on her shoulders.

Leina gave Saraiah a quick, sympathetic look while Saraiah had her head down, then continued talking. "After Heather went missing, King Cid sent me to go work undercover for Sumestris. I have lost contact with them since I got away from Aran earlier. I have reason to suspect that something is not right."

"Maybe you should contact them and tell them that you captured us and want to bring us in for questioning?" said Aran.

"I guess I could try." said Leina.

"Or…." said Aran, "we could contact them and say that we captured you instead, and that we want money or whatever in exchange for us not killing you and you going free."

"That sounds better, actually. We could see what Bill's reaction would be." Leina replied.

"And we could make a ton of cash, Aran! What an awesome idea!" exclaimed Saraiah.

"Ok, let's head for the communication area." said Aran, motioning for the others to follow him. When they arrived, they tied rope around Leina and had her lay on the floor. Her scrapes and bruises from the earlier showdown were convincing enough. They also put duct tape over her mouth.

"Alright, Leina, I need you to struggle and moan and yell through the tape when I reach him. Markas, you have your AK-47 pointed at her, and Saraiah, I want you to straddle her with your knife to her throat. Got it everyone? Places!" said Aran as he began typing on the keyboard. "Got him!"

"Who are you? How did you contact me?" Bill's voice on the computer asked.

"Bill Jenson. You are the pathetic bastard who sent this blonde bimbo to do your dirty work, am I right?" said Aran in a haughty, convincing tone. He moved his hand to motion toward Leina, lying on the floor, screaming and struggling underneath Saraiah.

"Quiet, you bitch!" said Saraiah as she backhanded Leina across her face and put her knife to her throat.

"You see that? We have your agent, Leina Vance at our mercy." said Aran.

"Bastard! You will pay dearly for this!" shouted Bill through the computer screen.

"No, you will. You can pay up and we will let her live. We may even turn her back over to you!" said Aran, with a devious grin.

"How much do you want?" asked Bill in a deepened, serious tone.

"I want you to give us $3 million gil, in fresh, crisp bills. If you don't pay up, we will slaughter her right there in front of you, and she will become an example just like Rufus Martine!" said Aran in an increasingly threatening tone.

Markas cocked his gun and aimed it at her head. "I will blow her head off after Saraiah here guts her and slashes her throat!" yelled Markas.

"Then I will beat you to death and steal your money anyways." said Aran, in a calm, serious tone.

Leina screamed and struggled even more. "I SAID SHUT UP!" screamed Saraiah as she grabbed her by the hair and held the knife even closer to her throat. "I swear I will slice it right open!" Leina pretended to cry as she complied.

"Ok OK! You have a deal! I want to meet as soon as possible!" shouted Bill.

"Awesome. I'll head your way immediately." said Aran with a smile. "Thank you so much for cooperating! Remember, you better have the money or Leina gets it!"

"I won't forget….here are my ship's coordinates." said Bill in a calm but distraught tone.

"Thank you." said Aran. "Let's load this broad up and get going." Aran disconnected then said "Nice performance, you guys! I think he bought it!"

"Thanks! Oh, and sorry for slapping you Leina, I had to make it look convincing." said Saraiah.

"Accepted." said Leina, indifferently. They untied her and headed to the docking bay and boarded their gunships. Leina rode with Aran.

"All right you guys, let's jet!" said Aran over the comm system.

"Roger!" came the reply. They took off and headed for Bill's ship.

"Wow, so you think he will actually pay?" asked Leina.

"Oh yeah, whether he does it on his own or we take it ourselves! Hehe!" said Aran.

"Of course." said Leina with a smile. "So…um I heard about your family…what happened to them?" she asked, with genuine concern.

"Oh…them." said Aran, somberly. He recapped the events of Serileine's death, and a few tears streamed down his face.

"Oh my gosh…I'm so sorry." said Leina, sympathetically. "I didn't mean to reopen old wounds…"

"No, it's ok. I found out yesterday after I woke up. I dunno, maybe it helps to talk about it. I don't like bottling up my feelings, really." said Aran, heaving a sigh.

"There's his ship, dead ahead!" said Saraiah over the comm system.

"Alright, let's land in the docking bay." said Aran. "This is it, Leina. Let's hope for the best!" They all docked on Bill's large ship. "Let's go." Aran said to Leina as he took her by the arm.

Bill and two other agents were standing on the dock. Bill was holding a suitcase. He was an older, balding man, about Aran's height. He didn't look very muscular. He had a furious look on his face.

"You have it?" said Aran. Bill opened the case, revealing the money he requested. "Very good. I held up my end of the bargain as well." He moved Leina towards Bill and released her arm. She turned around and gave Aran a sad look, as if she didn't want to go back to them.

Saraiah took the case and placed it in her gunship. Just as Leina and the others were about to walk away, Bill said in an emotionless tone, "Kill her, she is of no use to us anymore." One of the agents pulled out a gun to shoot Leina with, but Markas was much faster and shot the agent right in the head, killing him instantly. Bill and the other agent seized Leina and took off with her, and the Armasas chased after them. Bill managed to escape with Leina, and Aran continued pursuit after them while Markas and Saraiah stayed behind and engaged the agent. They took him down swiftly. "Let's split up. I'm going to see if there is a vault on this thing!" said Saraiah. "You go assist Aran!"

"Got it!" said Markas as he went to go help his buddy.

Saraiah was greeted by three rather large agents, all looking ready to fight. She gave a cute giggle, then she took them down, one by one with a variety of kicks, punches, and weapon attacks. She searched each of them and found what appeared to be a keycard. She spotted a large vent and climbed into it.

Meanwhile, Aran chased Bill until he made it into a security room and shut a large metal door, blocking Aran's path. "SHIT!" yelled Aran. "He's gonna kill her in there! Markas!"

"Man, what are we gonna do!" asked Markas, in an exasperated tone.

"I dunno, Markas. I risk hurting her if I bust through! Try one of your missiles!"

"Aight. Stand aside." Markas blasted the door with a missile, but it barely damaged it. "Damn it!" yelled Markas.

"We need to figure out a way in there!" yelled Aran.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Bill had Leina tied to a chair. He began torturing her as he told her the truth about her mission. "You stupid little girl, you thought I cared about you as an agent?" He punched her in the face. "Someone tipped me off to you working undercover for King Cid, that softie bastard." He slashed her arm, she screamed. "So I decided to send you to fight that indestructible boy, in the hopes that he would kill you so my hands would remain clean of your blood. Hahaha!" he picked up a chain whip and thrashed it across her back repeatedly. She grunted and screamed in pain. "Why don't you tell me everything you know about the King. All of his secrets. NOW!"

"I-don't-know!" Leina grunted. He whipped her again.

"STOP LYING TO ME, BITCH!"

"I TOLD YOU I DON'T KNOW HIS SECRETS! I WON'T TELL YOU ANYTHING EVEN IF I DID!" Bill thrashed her several more times.

"Insolent little hussy! You like that boy, don't you?"

"What? No! I don't!" Bill whips her again.

"I'm not stupid! I swear when I'm done here I will bring him in and kill him right in front of you!"

"You are such a fool, Bill. You are too much of a coward, you had to send me, a woman, to do your dirty work. He took me down rather easily. Imagine what he would do to you!" she said in a snarky, taunting tone.

Bill reared back to whip her again, but in the past several minutes, Leina managed to wriggle her arms and legs free and she blocked the whip and let it wrap around her arm and she jerked it out of his hand. She delivered a hard punch to his nose and kicked him in the solar plexus. He doubled backwards and hit the floor, and she started kicking him repeatedly. He managed to regain his composure and he tripped Leina. He reached for a gun and just as he prepared to shoot her, a knife zipped through the air and pierced the hand that was holding the gun. He dropped the gun and it deployed and hit him in the kneecap. Leina sat up to see Saraiah emerging from the air vent in the room.

"Uh, thanks." said Leina.

"I didn't do it for you, I did it for Aran." replied Saraiah. "I have work to do here." Saraiah walked over to Bill, who was incapacitated from the gunshot to he knee. She grabbed him by the collar and jerked him over to the large vault door in the room. "Open it. NOW!" demanded Saraiah.

"Go to hell, you little tramp-AHAAHHHHHAGGGH!" Saraiah sliced off his small finger.

"What did you call me? I said OPEN IT! Or I will cut _that _off!" she yelled, pointing to the spot between his legs. He hastily and begrudgingly complied. "Thank you very much. Now I have no use for you anymore." She slashed his throat and let him bleed out. She entered the vault and collected all of the money.

Leina watched in absolute astonishment at what just ensued. Saraiah walked over to the door to the hallway and opened it. Aran and Markas were waiting on the other side.

"Saraiah! Thank God! Is Leina ok?" exclaimed Aran.

"I'm fine." said Leina, who appeared to be losing her balance, most likely from blood loss.

"What happened? He's dead!" exclaimed Markas, pointing to Bill's corpse lying on the ground.

Saraiah replied in a serious tone, "I was a better fit for the job than HER. I'm going to my ship and getting outta here! I need to get this money into the royal charity account!" She then walked off, heading to her ship.

"Leina! Oh my gosh…" Aran ran towards her to catch her as she fainted. "She's losing blood! Let's get outta here and get back to the warship!"

"Got it, buddy!" said Markas.

They shuffled out of the vault and down the hallway. They made it to the docking bay, where three remaining agents were waiting. Saraiah managed to grapple past them and into her ship, since she was already taking off as the others arrived. Aran handed Leina to Markas and said, "Get her onto my ship, Markas! I'll take care of these guys real quick."

"Aight!" Markas headed for Aran's ship with Leina as Aran engaged the agents and took them each down with just one punch or kick, each. He sprinted to his ship as Markas boarded his own.

"Let's move!" said Aran over the comm system as they both launched their ships and flew as fast as they could towards the warship.


	4. The Warrior Doctor

_April 7, 2122._ "Where am I?" asked Leina as she regained consciousness.

"You are in our sick bay. You are safe now, Leina." said Aran, stroking her hair.

"What happened? What about Bill?" said Leina as she sat up.

"He's dead. Saraiah killed him. You lost a lot of blood from him whipping you. I was able to transfuse some blood into you and close your wounds."

"I see. Who's blood is it?" asked Leina.

"It's…Saraiah's. She donated some of her blood to you….you look surprised." said Aran, as Leina displayed a look of disbelief on her face.

"She…saved me? Again? I don't know. She just seems a little…cold blooded."

"What? Saraiah? No…she's really not. She gets a little envious around other women, and she gets kind of snappy at first."

"But why, Aran? She's beautiful!"

"I dunno, Leina…she really is, but she has been taken advantage of by a lot of guys in the past. She was never easy, and a lot of guys got bored with her after a while and would leave her for another girl. Her most recent ex boyfriend also turned out to be a jerk, and she was replaced after just a week. Sometimes she just doesn't feel like she's worth anything to guys. She did find a guy who did appreciate her for who she was, not just her appearance…but…she couldn't "suppress her sisterly feelings for him." Aran paused and heaved a sigh.

"What's wrong? Oh…that guy was…you?" asked Leina, deciphering his expression.

"Yeah. I really loved her so much, it tore my heart out when she broke up with me. I guess I can sorta understand though…hmm. She wants me to be with someone who can really love me as a man and a boyfriend, and one day, a husband, and she felt that she could not give me that. I guess now that I think of it, it's because she cares so much about me as a brother that she left me. I then met Serileine, and I already told you about that."

Leina replied, "Yeah, that's terrible. Hmm…I guess I can understand Saraiah too. Seems she really has your best interest at heart."

"Yeah, she really is a good person, and she really is a nice person. I think if you want to get to know her better, a direct approach would be good. She's really not a bitch." said Aran.

"Hmm…I guess I was a little harsh on her, with my comment about being better for the job…" said Leina, with a look of remorse on her face. "She did beat the crap out of me though….but then again, I guess I had it coming."

"Well, we did think you were trying to kill us…" said Aran, "but we now know the truth. So don't dwell on it."

"Ok. Anyways…you said that you fixed me up…are you a doctor?" Leina asked.

Aran replied, "Sort of, I'm still in training. I am a certified nurse, however!"

"Wow, I never would have guessed at first…I noticed you healing that wound I gave you…you know white magic?"

"Yeah, just the most basic kind. I'm hardly white mage material."

"Why not? I think you'd be good at that."

"Well Leina, the thing is, I'm human. I'm no Seiya prodigy. I generate very little Fazium, and while I was growing up and attending the academy, I tried studying many different jobs, and I just couldn't do it. I tried to become a black mage, and the spells I _could_ cast were very weak, and if I tried to cast anything more powerful, I would faint. I almost died once, and my father, the King, begged them to drop me from the program. I also attempted to become a knight, and even that required a good bit of Fazium. I eventually just gave up, as I watched Ryuden, who is half human, half Mirrasseinian excel in the black mage program and Saraiah become a top performer as a time mage. She is also a very talented thief. I lacked her speed and agility. I was doing well in my martial arts training, and I was able to use a variety of weapons quite well, but my lack of Fazium barred me from becoming a warrior. It looked like I would have to look into a support program, whether I worked on computers, in manufacturing, or became a pharmacist. I was distraught. I wanted to save people. When I turned 15 though, things turned around for me. I was able to manipulate small amounts of Fazium, and I was sitting by a river, making random shapes with a small amount of water. Ayako Shinomori…you know who that is, right?" Leina nodded. "Ok, Ayako was walking by and saw what I was doing. She sat next to me and complimented what I was doing. She told me I was demonstrating excellent control of Fazium. I told her it didn't seem to matter, that I was useless. She disagreed and proceeded to tell me that she was human as well and also generates very little Fazium. She had been training me for a long time, and she offered to train me privately, to expand on my martial arts training. She trained me in the art of Parkour and she also showed me how it just takes a small, concentrated burst of Fazium to do a ton of damage. I already had an unusual amount of natural strength and an ability to jump higher than a lot of people. I had received my black belt when I was just 13. Of course, when she was training me to break through dense bricks, I would occasionally break my wrist instead. It sure beat the hell outta passing out, though! I eventually perfected my Fazium control and it became very easy to break a lot of hard substances. Very occasionally, I can do a wide range of destructive damage and not hurt myself too much. Apparently my body is very resilient as well. I completed my training as a monk and I graduated at the top of my program. I was also recommended for the medical program, since excellent Fazium control and steady hands are highly sought after for that program, both of which I had."

"Wow, that's great that things worked out for you!" said Leina, with a smile. "They really are good people, at the Seiyomari Academy."

"Yeah…" said Aran. "I'm very grateful that Ayako gave me a chance. So…what made you decide to become a knight?"

"Um…" Leina hung her head. "What happened, Leina? You can tell me."

"My parents always gave me everything I ever wanted, except for their affection. They wanted to push me into nobility, and thought that women should not be fighters. When I was 13, I was attacked by thugs. They beat me nearly to death and held me for ransom. My parents never came for me."

"Oh my GOD, are you kidding me? They just left you in the hands of those thugs? Cowards!"

"Yes. They didn't want to part with their money to save me. The thugs were going to tie me up and throw me into the river to drown. That's when he came. Sir Alexander Barret. He saw them with me and killed them. I told him what had happened and he took me under his wing and trained me. I went back to my parent's house, and of course they were all like 'thank goodness you are ok!' and 'I'm so sorry we didn't come for you' and all that. They made several attempts to make it up to me, including paying Alex. Of course Alex told them where they could put that money, and it wasn't in a bank account, for sure."

"I would have loved to shove it up their asses myself. One fresh, sharp-edged bill at a time."

Leina giggled at Aran's response. "I'm sure you would have! So yeah, that's how that happened."

"Man, Leina. That really sucks that you had to go through that. Alex is a good man. He certainly devoted himself to his students after his sister, my mother, the Queen, died."

"What happened to your real parents?"

Aran explained what had happened 20 years ago.

"Oh my gosh…I'm so sorry. That must have been a terrible thing to see." said Leina, placing her hand on Aran's shoulder.

"It was. It haunts me to this day." Aran placed his hand over Leina's, then he stood up and said, "Anyways, I need to go contact the King. I haven't had the chance to explain what just happened yet."

"Ok." said Leina.

"Oh, before I go, I got something for you." Aran handed Leina a long, heavy box, then left the room.

"_Man, that guy has had it rough. Yet he seems to be ok considering. I wonder if he's just acting ok. Men seem to do that rather often. Hmmm. He sure does look good though. When he stroked my hair…..and touched my hand…" _Leina heaved a heavy sigh. _"Saraiah…she had a relationship with him. Lucky girl." _

She then looked at the box in her lap, and opened it. It was a brand new sword, just like the one that Aran broke. There was a note of apology attached to it. "_He replaced my sword. What a sweet man." _Leina placed the sword on the table next to her, laid back down, then drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Hey Aran, how is she?" asked Saraiah as they crossed paths in the hallway.

"She's going to be just fine. She's awake now."

"That's good."

"Saraiah…I think you should give her a chance. I understand what you are thinking, but she doesn't hate you. Trust me."

"Aran…I'm sorry. I just don't want to see you hurt again."

"Um…what do you mean by that? You think I…? No! You heard what I said at the hospital!" exclaimed Aran, turning red.

Saraiah giggled then said, "Suuuuuuuuure. Hehe. You're a guy, she's hot. I'm not an idiot, Aran. Just be careful, and I'm not mad at her anymore. Where are you headed?"

"You have me pegged. Hehe. But don't you dare tell her! Anyways, I'm going to the communications room to inform Dad of what just happened. What about you?"

"I'm going back to the kitchen. I just made Leina some dinner. I guess it's a peace offering."

"You didn't poison it, did you?"

"Oh come on, Aran! Do you really think I'd do that unless it's someone who really IS evil?"

"Hehe, I guess not."

"Ok well, just let me know what Daddy says."

"Aight, Saraiah." said Aran as he walked away. He began thinking, "_Saraiah is so perceptive. I do like Leina. I just can't pursue a relationship right now. It's not the right time. I'm not even sure if she likes me anyways….and of course…those yuppie ass parents of hers, hmph. Oh well."_

* * *

"_Huh, looks like she went back to sleep."_ Saraiah thought to herself as she entered the sick bay. She set the tray with Leina's dinner on the small bed table. She then lightly touched Leina's hair. "Leina, wake up. I brought you some dinner."

"Oh…hi Saraiah." said Leina as she slowly awakened and sat up. "This is for me?"

"Of course it is. I made it myself. It's my own chicken noodle recipe. I hope you like it. Here's some green tea to drink with it."

"Uh…thanks! Um…Saraiah, I'm sorry…about earlier, what I said."

"It's ok. Don't worry about it. I just really care about Aran…and I know how he is with women that he likes. He falls very hard, and ends up hurt. He just found out that he lost his fiancée, who was six months pregnant with their son, and I don't want him to rush into another relationship just yet. I hope you understand. I'm sorry for being harsh as well, but what you said really upset me. I'm over it though."

"Wow…this soup is…fantastic!" said Leina, then she continued eating the soup. "Mmmm…Saraiah, you'll make a man very happy one day!"

"Um…thanks! I hope so…"

"Oh…Aran told me about your past…"

"Did he now…yeah. Good men are hard to find. I hope I find someone…who isn't related to me, even just by paperwork."

"I can understand that…" said Leina, "I'm sure there is someone out there, for both of us."

"Hmmm…maybe." said Saraiah. The two women sat in silence, Leina continued eating her soup.

After a few minutes, Saraiah exclaimed, "Oh my gosh…it's Aran's 24th birthday today! Wow, I completely forgot! I knew about it yesterday, but things just got crazy with the new mission…jeez why didn't he say anything? Leina! When's yours?"

"May 2nd. I'll be 26."

"Not too far off! I'll have to cook for you again! However I need to do something for Aran! Oh poopy!"

"Hey Saraiah, can I get some more of that soup? It was so good!"

"Sure. I'll be back." Saraiah said as she took the bowl and left the room. "Ohhhhh I'm the worst sister in the world! I never said anything to him! I guess I'll get him some soup for now…but I need to come up with something better! Good grief!" Saraiah filled Leina's bowl and returned to her room, then she quickly ran back to the kitchen to fill a bowl for Aran. She found him in the communication room and presented the bowl of soup.

"Happy Birthday, Aran! I'm sorry I forgot, and this is the best I can do right now!"

"Oh! Uh, thanks! I always loved this soup…quite frankly I forgot it was my birthday…but thanks! Anyways, I explained everything to Dad, and he wants all of us to return to the castle. I think he plans on having Leina join us and aid us on our mission." said Aran with a casual smile as he shoveled a spoonful of soup into his mouth. "Oh…delicious..."

"I hope so, Aran. I really like her. We buried the hatchet, and she loves my soup! Hehe!"

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. Let's go back and check on her."

"I'll meet you there, Aran. I'm gonna get Markas some soup."

"Ok." Aran walked back to the sick bay and explained what was going to happen. "So how are you feeling?" he asked Leina.

"I'm fine, but I sure am sleepy!" said Leina while yawning.

"Well, we should have all night to rest when we get back to the castle." Aran smiled at her. She blushed.

_"He's insanely gorgeous. My god." _she thought to herself.

"Do you think you can walk?" asked Aran.

"Yeah."

"Ok then, let's get to the cockpit and prepare for landing. We will arrive on Alterra in about 20 minutes."

* * *

"Everybody strapped in?" asked Saraiah as she steered the ship into Alterra's atmosphere. "We are going in for a landing! Woohoo!" The Seiyomari Air and Space Center came into view. "Alright guys, preparing to land!" Saraiah landed her ship and the entire crew exited. The ship was lowered into its underground private hangar.

"Phew! It's great to be back on solid ground!" said Aran. "Let's get to my car and get to the castle! I'm pooped! We have a twenty minute drive ahead of us." The four of them located Aran's green convertible and they all got in and headed for the castle. They began crossing a large bridge that was high above a forest. "What the HELL?" shouted Aran as he slammed on the brakes.

"Man! Tha hell is that thing?" shouted Markas as he pointed to a large robotic dragon that landed on the bridge. It was the early evening on a Saturday, so there was hardly anyone else on the bridge who wasn't able to get away. It would appear that the robot was specifically targeting the Armasa group. A Sumestris weapon, for sure. There was an agent in the cockpit controlling it. They all got out of the car and ran towards the monster, and engaged it. Each of the fighters used their weapons and were able to damage it considerably.

"Hahahahaha! You think you've won? Take this!" shouted the agent through the robot's microphone as he self destructed, blowing a big gap in the bridge. Aran and Saraiah both fell through the gap, and Aran grabbed the edge of the bridge and Saraiah grabbed Aran's legs.

"DAMN IT! NOT THIS SHIT AGAIN!" screamed Aran as he held on for dear life. Leina and Markas both rushed to the edge and attempted to help them up.

"Darn it! I can't reach you!" yelled Leina to Aran, then she yelled to Markas, "Can you hold my legs while I reach for Aran?"

"I can try!" he replied.

"Saraiah! Just use me to climb up and grab onto Leina, then I can get up easily!" said Aran to Saraiah.

"No! I'll just cause you to lose your grip and you will fall! Just forget about me!"

"ARE YOU NUTS SARAIAH? DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" Aran shouted, knowing that Saraiah planned on letting go and falling into the forest. "USE ME TO CLIMB UP! NOW!" Tears began streaming down his face. "I can hold on long enough…"

Saraiah began to shed tears as well, and said, "No…please trust me. This isn't as bad as you think it is…if I try to climb up, you will slip and fall. I have a better chance of survival, Aran! I won't lose you for another three years! I'm sorry." She let go and fell into the forest.

"NO! SARAIAH! SARAIAAAAAHHHHH!" Aran screamed in horror.

"Aran! Grab on!" shouted Leina. He swung his legs up and climbed up and grabbed Leina's hand. Markas and Leina pulled him to safety.

"DAMN IT!" Aran screamed as he punched the road and began sobbing. Markas hung his head with a distraught look on his face. Leina put her arms around Aran and stroked his hair as he cried into her lap. A few tears streamed down her face as well. Markas walked up to Aran and Leina, then kneeled down and placed his hand on Aran's back.

"Let's go home." said Markas, somberly. Several helicopters arrived at the scene. Aran, Leina, and Markas said nothing to the swarm of reporters as they walked to Aran's car.

"The king will not be happy about this." said Aran, in a low, somber tone. They drove off and found another route to the castle.

* * *

"Ah! Here we go. This will go great in my new potion!" said a young man to himself as he snipped an herb off of a plant. "What was that sound?" he looked above him to see smoke coming from the bridge. "Oh…that's not good."

"WHOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! UGH! ARGH! AHHHH! OUCH! UGH!" a female voice screamed as the young man watched a girl land on several branches and hit the ground.

"Oh my gosh!" he said as he ran towards the redheaded woman. "Miss! Are you ok?"

"Ow…that hurt." said Saraiah as she brushed herself off and stood up. "Yeah, I'm fine…oh!" she looked up and met the gaze of a very tall, handsome, dark haired young man. "Um…yeah! I'm fine! The trees broke my fall." _"Oh my goodness…he's hotter than Aran!"_ she thought to herself.

"Wow, you sure are a tough one. Let me see those scrapes. I'm a doctor!" he got down on one knee and touched her shoulder and began a healing spell. Saraiah got chills from his touch. "Wait a second…they're gone!" the man said with bewilderment. "That spell usually takes a minute to take effect!"

"Well, I appreciate the thought!" said Saraiah as she placed her hand on the back of the man's neck.

"_Ooh…that's nice." _the man thought to himself. _"Wow…I have never seen a woman as beautiful as her…" _"What's your name, miss? How old are you?" he asked her.

"Saraiah Rikkuo! I'm 23." came the reply.

"_The _Saraiah Rikkuo? King Cid's daughter?"

"Yep! What's your name? You said you were a doctor…and how old might _you_ be?"

"I'm 27, and yes, I'm also a blue mage and an alchemist. My name is Dylan Frankewicz. Frank for short." he said as he smiled at Saraiah and kissed her hand.

"_Oh my god I need some ice water NOW!" _Saraiah thought to herself. "Dylan Frank? I know your parents! They are the ones who saved Aran Maleigha's life!"

"Aran Maleigha? I've heard of him. I hear he's quite the human prodigy!" said Dylan. "My parents did the universe a favor by saving him. I'm glad he's ok!"

"Oh, me too! He means the world to me." said Saraiah.

"I see. I know that you two were raised as brother and sister. Anyways, I noticed that your wounds healed very quickly. Do you have an explanation for that?" asked Dylan.

"Yeah…the thing is…I'm…immortal…to an extent." said Saraiah as Dylan displayed a look of astonishment. "Aran does not know that. I guess I should have told him before I fell…he just thinks I'm very hard to kill."

"What happened up there, anyways?" asked Dylan. Saraiah told him about what happened just twenty minutes before. "I see. You sacrificed yourself to save Aran. Did it hurt?"

"Very much. I can still feel pain. I'm assuming that since Aran's not down here with us, Leina and Markas were able to help him up. So it wasn't in vain." Saraiah heaved a sigh of relief.

"Well, I'm guessing that your friends and family are very upset right now. I'll give you a ride home. Does that sound good?"

"Sure. My father knows my secret. We just don't go around telling everyone. My blood has healing properties, but I can't heal anyone with white magic. They have to be directly infused with my blood. Do you think my blood would be helpful in your experiments?"

"Absolutely! I didn't want to ask, but I'm glad you offered!" said Dylan excitedly.

"Well, anything to help you-I mean everyone!" said Saraiah as she blushed and turned her head away.

"_She's so cute…" _Dylan thought to himself. "Well, that's very sweet of you." he said with a warm smile as they drove into the sunset.

* * *

"I'm so sorry, Dad." said Aran after explaining the bad news.

"It's ok, son. It wasn't your fault. Those Sumestris bastards are going to pay dearly for taking my baby girl from me." said King Cid through tears. "I'm glad you are still around, at least." he said while hugging Aran. _"I know Saraiah is alive somewhere. I know my daughter's secret." _Cid thought to himself.

"Sir! You have to come here! It's…her!" exclaimed a guard as he burst into the royal chamber.

"It can't be…" said Aran as he and the others ran toward the palace entrance.

"GUYYYYYYYYS! I'M OK!" yelled Saraiah as she jumped out of Dylan's jeep.

"OH MY GOSH! SARAIAH! You're alright!" shouted Aran as he ran towards and embraced Saraiah.

"Hey, the trees broke my fall. It'll take more than THAT to get rid of me!"

"Well, that's good. Don't you EVER do that again!" said Aran as he hugged her again. He turned towards Dylan. "Sir, are you the one who helped my sister?"

"Sort of, I guess! She didn't need much help. I just gave her a ride! Dylan Frankewicz." said Dylan as he extended his hand toward Aran. "Aran Maleigha, right?"

"Yup, that's me!" said Aran as he shook Dylan's hand and gave him a hearty thump on the back. "Thanks for taking care of her. I hope she wasn't _too_ much trouble, hehe!"

"Not at all. It was a pleasure." said Dylan.

"Glad to hear it. Got dinner plans?" said Aran.

"I do now!" said Dylan with a big smile.

"Daddy, it's Aran's birthday…let's have another feast!" said Saraiah to Cid.

"Absolutely. I'm glad you are ok." he hugged her and whispered, "I knew you were ok."

"Yeah." she whispered back. Everybody went back inside the castle and celebrated Aran's birthday. The day turned out ok after all.


	5. Family Bonds

_April 8, 2122. _"Aran! Time to get up! We have a training exam with Daddy in an hour!" exclaimed Saraiah as she barged into Aran's room and threw the curtains open.

"Oh come on, just five more minutes!" grumbled Aran as he covered his head with a pillow.

"Aran! Get up! Your breakfast is going to get cold! OH MY GOD…..!" Saraiah threw the covers off of Aran only to discover that he sleeps _au natural_. She turned beet red and bolted out of the room.

"Hmph. Serves her right." Aran said to himself as he reluctantly got out of bed and got dressed. He went down to the dining room, where Saraiah, Markas, Dylan, and Leina were already sitting and eating.

"Good morning, Aran!" said Leina with a smile. "Morning." said Aran as he nodded at Leina. Saraiah just looked at her plate and kept eating.

"So, you ready to face the King today?" said Markas.

"Sure, about as ready as I can be on such short notice…" grumbled Aran as he scarfed down his breakfast, poured his coffee, and left the dining room.

"What's his deal?" asked Leina as she nodded in the direction of the door where Aran had exited.

"Oh, he's just a grouch in the mornings. A cup of coffee should perk him right up!" said Saraiah. "Don't worry about it."

"Ok." said Leina as she shrugged and sipped her coffee.

"Wow, I'm kinda nervous! Daddy sure is tough!" said Saraiah, looking somewhat concerned.

"I'm sure you'll do great, Saraiah." said Dylan, smiling.

"Uh, thank you! I hope so!" said Saraiah. "Anyways, I've gotta get ready! I better see you guys out there watching us!" They all responded, saying they would be. Saraiah inhaled the last few bites of her breakfast and left the dining room. She met up with Aran, and they both walked out to the large outdoor training ground and began their warm-up exercises.

* * *

"Ah, you guys have arrived!" came Cid's voice as he emerged from behind a tree. "Very good on being punctual."

Ayako, Alex, and Saraiah's instructor, Jessie Calloway, were observing. Markas, Leina, and Dylan joined the other three.

"Ok. Aran! Saraiah! The exam is simple. I want you to catch me." said Cid.

"Yes sir!" came the response.

"Ready, set, GO!" shouted Cid.

Aran and Saraiah charged towards him. They split up and charged Cid from both sides. Saraiah pulled out a kunai knife and threw it at Cid, in an attempt to hit his knee. Cid quickly dodged and the knife barely missed Aran.

"Whoa! Watch it!" shouted Aran.

"Sorry! It's _his_ fault!" yelled Saraiah.

Aran darted toward Cid and delivered a powerful drop kick that was easily blocked. "Ugh!" said Aran.

Cid ducked Saraiah's nunchuck that came flying toward the back of his head. "Darn it!" she said.

"Stop criticizing yourselves! Just regroup and try again!" yelled Cid as he blocked a flying sidekick from Aran and grabbed his leg and threw him. Aran backed off for a few seconds.

Saraiah split into three of herself and surrounded Cid. She closed in on him, and he jumped up to avoid the attack. "UGH!" yelled Cid as he took a blow to the top of his head. Apparently there was a fourth clone that got past Cid's detection. He hit the ground, and Saraiah began to tie him up. "Gotcha!" she said.

"That was a good technique, but it didn't work quite as well as she thinks." said Jessie as she observed.

"What do you mean?" said Leina.

"Just watch."

"Huh?" shouted Saraiah as the "Cid" she thought she captured crumbled into dust. "A dirt clone. Go figure." she said to Aran, who was standing several feet away. "Where'd he go?" she asked.

"I don't see him in front of me….he's not behind me….and he's not above me." said Aran as he winked at Saraiah.

"Ah." she said as she backed away even further.

"GOTCHA! HIYAAA!" shouted Aran as he pounded the ground, sending a wave of destruction spanning a hundred foot radius.

Leina gasped loudly as Ayako said "Nicely done!" and applauded.

"Wow, he's really something." said Dylan, thoroughly impressed.

"You have NO idea." said Markas with a smile. Dylan nodded in agreement.

"They are both fantastic warriors." said Markas. "They will get him."

Meanwhile, Cid was sitting in a pile of rubble, brushing himself off and regaining his composure. "Did NOT see that one coming." he said to himself. "Both of them have come a long way, even Aran after being asleep for three years."

"Pay attention!" shouted Saraiah as she slammed her nunchuck into the pile. Cid quickly but barely dodged, then retreated to the forest. Aran quickly chugged an Ether, then he and Saraiah chased after Cid. Cid was standing behind a tree, then had to bolt away as Aran dropped from a tree branch above and kicked right through the tree. Saraiah landed a blow to Cid's legs and he hit the ground. He quickly got back up and ducked as Aran went to punch him in the face, instead punching through another tree that was right behind Cid. _"Man, they mean business!"_ he thought to himself as he ducked another attack from Saraiah. He grabbed Saraiah and hurled her about twenty feet away, and he kicked Aran and sent him flying as well. They both landed close to each other.

"Shit." said Aran. "This is going nowhere, fast!"

"No kidding, we need to come up with a plan!" said Saraiah.

"Yeah, so what do we do, exactly?"

"Well…he isn't immune to time magic…I can cast Stop on him for a few seconds, and you grab him and knock him unconscious. Then we can tie him up."

"Sounds dirty, but I like it! Hehe." said Aran.

"Well, I am a time mage after all, so it isn't cheating!"

"Alright, he's coming."

"Daddy! You found us! Not bad for an old man!" said Saraiah, laughing.

"Ok young lady, what are you up to?"

"Me? Nothing!" said Saraiah, shrugging.

Cid started looking around for Aran. Aran jumped out of a tree, getting ready to punch him. Little did Cid know that he was just a decoy, and that the Saraiah he was talking to was just a clone. "Cast Stop!" came a voice from behind him. "Damn it!" said Cid as he ceased movement. He felt Aran grab him then everything went black.

"Oh my gosh…it worked!" yelled Saraiah as she ran toward Aran and Cid. "I mean, it did work, right? Is it really him?"

"Sure is." said Aran as he nudged Cid with his foot. "He's warm and there is a pulse. Clones don't have pulses. Plain and simple. Let's tie him up and take him inside." Aran and Saraiah emerged from the forest, with an unconscious Cid draped over Aran's shoulder. The six people who were observing began applauding. Aran and Saraiah walked across the damaged field towards Markas and the others.

"Wow, that was impressive! Great job you two!" said Ayako as Aran gently sat Cid against a wall.

"You've done well, both of you!" said Jessie.

Aran and Saraiah high-fived each other.

"Here, this'll wake him right up." said Dylan as he pulled out a phoenix down. He layed it on Cid and he immediately regained consciousness. Saraiah cut the ropes off of Cid. "Gotcha!" she said to him.

"I guess so. Well done, you two." he said as he stood up. "I'm glad you did well. You are ready for the next mission, and it's going to be a doozy. Let's go inside and I will explain everything."

* * *

"Are you kidding me? She contacted you?" exclaimed Saraiah after she was informed that Renaiya had contacted King Cid.

"Do you really think I would joke about that, Saraiah?" said Cid. "I have a recording of our conversation." he presented a laptop to Saraiah. Aran and the others gathered around and watched the saw Renaiya on a screen, it was most definitely her.

"Oh my gosh, that's her!" exclaimed Aran, pausing the video. "She's alive!" he and Saraiah hugged in celebration. They resumed the video.

"_Now explain what is going on. I will show this video to the others." _Cid's voice was heard on the video.

"_Ok, I can not talk long. No one knows I'm in here. They are all asleep." "Ok, well tell us what you can." _Renaiya began telling Cid her situation. "_Margine has me. Saroku was definitely responsible as well. Margine has been very weak for the past twenty years and has been using other, younger warriors to do her dirty work. She and Sumestris have nothing to do with one another." _

_"Ok, well you do know that Ryuden has gone rogue, looking for you?" _

_"I did not know that. Has he contacted you?" _

_"I'm afraid not. He went to work for Katarin. She must have him under his spell." _

_"Oh my gosh! That's terrible!"_ A look of deep concern for her boyfriend spread across Renaiya's face._ "Go help him first. I'll remain in contact. I've remained unharmed and in relative comfort over the past few years." _

_"I understand. Please be careful, darling. I love you. It's so great to see you and hear your voice again, Renaiya." _

_"I love you too, daddy. Give Aran and Saraiah hugs for me, ok?" _

_"I will." _The video ended.

"Ok, so what's the mission?" Aran asked Cid.

"I want you to find Ryuden and bring him back. Take this video. I put it on a flash drive for you. It'll be very important, especially if he is under Katarin's spell."

"I see." said Aran, taking the flash drive.

"You know how dangerous he is. Be very careful." said Cid.

Yes, Ryuden is a black mage, and a good one at that. Unlike many black mages though, he knows hand to hand combat and has been trained to fight with a staff. He's hardly on Aran's level in hand to hand combat, but his magic attacks are a force to be reckoned with.

* * *

_Three years ago, March 9__th__, 2119. _"Daddy! Daddy! DADDYYYYYYYYYY! It's awful! She's gone! She's gooooooooooone!" screamed Saraiah as she ran toward the royal chamber.

"Saraiah, who's gone?" exclaimed Cid as his crying daughter came running to him.

"R-Renaiya! She's g-gone! Th-they left this n-note in her b-bed…" she blubbered as she handed a note to Cid with her hand shaking.

"_Father…I mean, King Cid…you never gave me the love and affection I desired as your son, so I'm taking something precious and valuable from you! Long live the Princess." _

"No…"said Cid, dropping to his knees.

"It's Saroku. He t-took her." said Saraiah, embracing her distraught father. "Margine…she's behind this. We need to tell Aran…and…R-Ryuden."

Ryuden and Renaiya were raised together, and just like Aran and Saraiah had a relationship, Ryuden and Renaiya have one as well, and theirs was successful. Renaiya was able to suppress any sisterly bonds she had with Ryuden, and they grew very close and have had a relationship for two years, then disaster struck when Renaiya was abducted by her estranged brother, Saroku.

"WHAT? SHE'S GONE? THAT BASTARD, I'M GOING TO SET HIM ON FIRE AND THEN ELECTROCUTE HIM UNTIL HE EXPLODES WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM!" exploded Ryuden when he heard the bad news.

"That son of a bitch…it was me he always hated, why did he take _her?_" said Aran, angrily.

Ryuden sat down at a table and put his face in his hands.

"My guess is because she's a white mage and would put up the least of a fight." said Saraiah. "He's a big dumb coward!"

"Of course he wouldn't try to take me. I would knock his ass all the way to Zebes and back." said Aran, cracking his knuckles.

"Zebes? What's that?" asked Saraiah, scratching her head.

"I dunno, some planet that some female bounty hunter frequents…it's really far away…the hunter's last name is the same as my first! I read about that stuff in our space exploration textbooks." said Aran, casually.

"Oh yeah…that place. Creepy. There's these super powerful and deadly jellyfish there…I hear they suck on you until you…die!" said Saraiah, looking a little bit spooked.

"Ex-CUSE ME! So what are we gonna do here? They've taken my girlfriend…they could kill her!" yelled Ryuden as he stood up and slapped the table, fighting back tears.

"We need to organize a search and rescue. This isn't something we can just rush into blindly." said Aran, calmly.

"We don't have TIME to organize ANYTHING! We need to go FIND HER!" shouted Ryuden, walking towards Aran.

Ryuden was rather intimidating, being a whopping 6'4", he was twice the size of Aran, despite that Aran was much heavier than he looked. However, Aran remained rather calm and said, "Look. You can't simply act based on your emotions. If we rush in there all crazy-like, we will all DIE."

"Well THAT'S a risk I'm just willing to take. I'll go ALONE if I have to! What if it were Serileine?" Ryuden's light amber brown eyes could have burned a hole through Aran's chest with how rage filled they were.

"Well…I'd try to go for the best possible outcome, one that won't get all of us killed." came Aran's serene reply.

"HOW THE HELL CAN YOU BE SO CALM AT A TIME LIKE THIS, ARAN?" Tears began streaming down Ryuden's anger-filled face.

"Just get out. You don't think I'm extremely upset about this as well?" came Aran's reply through gritted teeth.

"Oh, you guys, we shouldn't fight at a time like this!" said Saraiah, placing her hand on Ryuden's shoulder. He jerked his shoulder away and stormed out of the room as he grumbled, "I'm going for a walk."

"That didn't go so well…" said Aran as he crossed his arms.

"Well, I can understand why he's upset…" said Saraiah.

"Whatever…I guess we need to make a plan ourselves. I'll contact Markas and we will hammer out the details." said Aran. "Let's get started."

* * *

"Hey…are you Ryuden Lenore?" said a woman's voice.

"Yeah. Who's asking?" said Ryuden in a harsh tone. A woman, about 5'8" and in her mid 30's emerged from the shadows of the park pathway. Ryuden armed his staff.

"Oh, that's not necessary. I'm not here to fight." said the woman.

"Well, then WHAT do you WANT? I'm in a really bad mood right now!" snapped Ryuden.

"Oh yes, I heard. The Princess has been kidnapped…and who are you to the Princess?" said the woman in an indifferent tone.

"I'm her _boyfriend_. Get to the point, lady, before I set you on fire!" Ryuden replied in a threatening tone as he pointed his staff at her.

"Well, cutie, I have some leads on your woman's whereabouts."

"I'm listening…" said Ryuden in a calmer tone as he lowered his staff.

"Come with me and we will go after Margine and Saroku together." said the woman, in a slightly flirty tone.

"You know who took her?" asked Ryuden with genuine curiosity.

"I certainly do. I understand that your less attractive cousin wants to sit around and make plans, correct?"

"Yes…Aran just doesn't get it. I wonder if he really cares." said Ryuden, crossing his arms.

"I'm sure he doesn't. He has his lady, and their soon-to-be son. He's just too preoccupied with his own concerns to worry about saving your girl."

"Ok, so if I come with you, we will go save Renaiya. Is that the gist of it?" The woman nodded, and Ryuden continued, "You do know that I'm an elite Black Mage, correct? If you go back on your word, there will be hell to pay. Are we clear, lady?"

"Oh, absolutely. A handsome young man like you deserves to be united with his fair lady. By the way, my name is Katarin Romani."

Katarin extended her hand to Ryuden. He shook it and said, "Nice to meet you, Katarin. I will go with you."

"Ok, meet me at my ship, first thing in the morning. If you want to come early, that's fine. My ship's tracking code is on this flash drive. Just upload it onto your gunship and you will be able to find me. Oh, and how old are you?"

Ryuden accepted the flash drive and said, "Nineteen. I will join you as soon as possible."

"Sounds like a plan. I look forward to working with you." said Katarin as she walked off. _"Too easy…hehehe. He's just too yummy looking to let go." _she thought to herself.

Ryuden went back to the castle after Katarin disappeared from sight. _"I'm going to pack my things and get out of here as soon as possible. I'm not saying a word to Aran or Saraiah." _he thought to himself as he went to his bedroom. He quickly filled a few bags with clothes, potions, and various other supplies, then headed out of the castle in the middle of the night. He walked to the large garage and tossed his bags into his car.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Ryuden turned around to see Aran leaning against the wall.

"Aran…how did you know I'd be here?" Ryuden asked, recovering from being startled.

"Let's just say that after you stormed out, I followed you into the park and stayed hidden. Katarin is bad news, Ryuden! She only wants you to come with her because she _wants_ you. She has NO interest in helping you find Renaiya. She's a powerful witch and she will put you under her spell. You do not want that!" said Aran as he walked towards Ryuden.

"Who the hell are you to tell me what I want? I want Renaiya back, and I'm not going to sit on my ass while I wait for you to come up with a 'plan'! I'm leaving and there is nothing you can do to stop me!" shouted Ryuden as he attempted to get in his car.

Aran ran towards him and grabbed him by his collar and jerked him out of the car. "I'm sorry Ryuden, but I'm not going to let you go on a suicide mission! I will stop you if I have to break every damn bone in your body!" shouted Aran as he punched Ryuden in the face. Aran went crazy and started beating Ryuden relentlessly.

"Ugh…ugh…"said Ryuden as he coughed up blood while on his hands and knees. "UGH!" he shouted again as Aran kicked him hard in the side. "C-c-c-cast Demi!" shouted Ryuden as a large black hole engulfed Aran and dropped him to his knees. "C-cast fire!" he shouted as Aran's back caught on fire. Aran screamed in pain as he rolled around trying to put the flames out. "Cast…water..." squeaked Ryuden as he lost consciousness. The water spell doused Aran and put out the fire, but it also waterlogged him. He coughed up a good bit of water and slowly sat up against a car. Saraiah, Cid and Markas came running into the garage.

"Oh my gosh, what happened in here?" exclaimed Saraiah when she saw Ryuden laying unconscious on the ground, covered in blood.

"Oh…he thought he would take off and go work with Katarin Romani…I stopped him." said Aran, weakly. "He sure got me pretty good." Aran pointed to the burns on his back.

"Oh my gosh…we need to get you two to the hospital wing!" said Saraiah, motioning Cid and Markas to go get help.

After a few minutes, the hospital staff arrived with two stretchers. Aran had fainted at that point. Both of the guys were taken to the hospital wing, where they began treatment. A couple of hours later, Ryuden regained consciousness. He had grabbed a hi-potion out of his car right as Aran pulled him out of it. He quickly consumed it and recovered. Aran was still unconscious several beds away. He quickly changed into his clothes and headed for the garage. This time, there was no one there waiting for him. He got into his car and drove off to the Air and Space Center, where he boarded his gunship and headed for Katarin's ship.

* * *

_Back to present day. "Yes, Ryuden was extremely tough, and dangerous. The burns that scarred my back…they are gone now after my three year coma, due to Saraiah's blood. I was hospitalized for just half of a day after my fight with Ryuden. I guess his intent was just to slow me down so I couldn't try to stop him again. His plan worked, since he escaped and has been gone ever since. Now I know for sure that he never found Renaiya. I wonder if he's still alive…" _Aran thought to himself as he got ready for his mission. "Oh shoot, I need to go get some Ethers…and of course I need cash to do so. Guess I need to go to the bank as well!" he said to himself. "Saraiah, I need to go run a couple of errands real quick. Be right back!"

"Ok, Aran! Don't be too long! We need to get plenty of rest for the mission!" came Saraiah's reply as Aran passed her bedroom.

Aran went to his car and headed into town. He passed by his old house, the one where he and Serileine had lived. It was boarded up. "_I guess I need to fix that thing up and sell it one of these days." _He arrived at the bank, and he withdrew the cash he needed. "_I guess I should pick up a few weapons while I'm at it."_ As he was walking to his car, he caught a glimpse of Adam Martine and a tall, blonde, super skinny, trashy, rather unattractive woman, most likely his new girlfriend. They got into their car, and Aran began tailing them. _"Here I go again, always looking for trouble. Hehe. Also…that woman…what a downgrade, my god!" _He remained several feet behind them, and he saw them park and enter a small, run-down building. "_What are they up to?" _Aran got out of his car and snuck into the building after them, through an open window. There appeared to be a lab of some sort in this building. Aran stayed hidden and eavesdropped on the couple's conversation.

"So yeah, that bitch's ex-boyfriend killed my father two days ago!" came Adam's voice.

"So, what are you planning?" said the girlfriend. Aran got out his cell phone and activated the video camera. He recorded their conversation while remaining hidden.

"Ok, so it would be cliché to just kill Maleigha himself. I say we kill that hussy Saraiah instead. I hear that she is immortal…to an extent. She can't survive an internal explosion! That would hurt Maleigha worse than just killing him. Haha!" said Adam.

"_Saraiah is immortal? She never told me that!" _Aran thought to himself.

"I love the way you think, Adam! I can develop a nano-explosive and then when you see her again, you can just get close enough to her to inject it. Then after a few minutes, BOOM! Hahahahahaha!" said the girl as she laughed evilly.

"Oh Jennilyn, you are so hot with your dastardly ways, hehehe!" Aran quickly shut off the camera as Adam and Jennilyn began doing things that Aran wished he never saw or heard. He quickly exited the building, then ran to the potion and weapons shop, then hurried to the castle to inform Cid of his recent findings.

"Immortal? Seriously, immortal? With all due respect, Dad, you couldn't have told me this?" exclaimed Aran as he burst into the royal chamber, waving his cell phone around.

"We have our reasons, Aran. Tell me what's going on." said Cid, calmly.

"Well, I just caught a very interesting video of Adam Martine and his new piece of ass plotting to kill Saraiah." said Aran as he handed his phone to Cid.

"What do you mean? She's immortal!"

"Just watch the video." Cid watched the video of Adam and Jennilyn, then he looked at Aran with a serious expression.

"Just give me the order, Dad." said Aran, knowing full well that Cid wanted Aran to assassinate Adam.

"I won't risk my daughter's life, and that video is the best evidence we could hope for. I ask that you just arrest the girl. Kill her if it becomes necessary, though. Now get going."

"Yes sir." said Aran as he left and went to his car. Aran drove back to the small building, where he cautiously peeked into the window.

"Gross!" he said to himself….it would appear Adam and Jennilyn were not finished with what they started earlier. "I wish I could un-see that…he really _was_ a downgrade from me…" he said as he rubbed his eyes. "I guess there's only one way to do this…party crasher style!" he said to himself as he barged right in, much to the surprise and horror of Adam and Jennilyn. "Ok, you have about five seconds to get your clothes back on!" shouted Aran as he held his hand in front of his eyes. They both complied very quickly.

"W-w-what are you doing here, M-M-Maleigha?" said Adam, backing away.

"The name's Aran, buddy. I heard your whole conversation about wanting to kill my sister. We can't have that." said Aran, calmly.

"G-g-get away from us!" said Jennilyn as she feebly pointed a pistol at Aran. She pulled the trigger but nothing happened.

Aran walked up to her and said, "That would be more effective with the safety off, lady." He then knocked her unconscious and confiscated the gun.

"A-a-are you gonna shoot me with that?" said Adam, as he turned white with fear.

"Oh no. Oh no no no. I don't use guns. I don't need them. I'm trained in well over a hundred ways to kill anyone or anything with my bare hands." said Aran, still calmly as he cracked his knuckles. "I only need one to kill you!"

He jerked Adam up off of the floor and began pounding him. Adam tried to fight back but to no avail. He begged and pleaded for his life, and Aran threw him on the ground. Adam reached for the pistol that Jennilyn had and fired a shot into Aran's shoulder. Aran winced slightly as he reached down for Adam and began strangling him. Aran stomped on Adam's wrist, crushing it and causing him to release the gun. Adam tried to free himself from Aran's grip, but Aran was way too strong.

"Your father deserved what he got. He took my Serileine and our unborn son away from me. He tried to kill me, and that led to his death. You won't have Saraiah as well." said Aran, then he snapped Adam's neck. He walked over to Jennilyn and tied her up. She came to and saw Adam laying lifeless on the ground. She started screaming and kicking at Aran. He gagged her then tied up her ankles. "Let's go, lady. Your boyfriend had it coming, and so did his father." He threw Jennilyn into his trunk and drove back to the castle, and threw her into the dungeon. "She's all yours." he said to the guards and their dogs. "Torture her a little bit."

He left the dungeon and gave his report to King Cid. "Well done, Aran."

"Of course. The woman is in the dungeon, most likely being tortured."

"Oh Aran, how can you be so bad and be so good at the same time?" said Cid, with an amused smile.

"I guess it just comes naturally." said Aran as he gave a quick smile. "Anyways, I need to get ready for tomorrow and go to bed. Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight, Aran. I think I may turn in as well."

"Ow…" said Aran, as he grabbed his right shoulder.

"Aran! You've been shot!"

"Oh yeah…I guess I forgot about that."

"Here, let me help you." Cid placed his hand on Aran's shoulder and began healing it. "Looks like a through and through shot. There, that should do it."

"Ahh. Thanks Dad. Goodnight."

"No problem. Sleep well, Son." said Cid as Aran left the chamber.

* * *

_April 9__th__, 2122. _"_So, today's the day. The day we go after Ryuden. Hmmm…" _Aran thought to himself as the rising sun peeked through the drapes. "_6:30 am. I still have another hour and a half. But my mind is so full. I guess I'll get some water and try to go back to sleep." _Aran got up and put on his robe, and headed to the kitchen. He passed by the dining room where he noticed Cid. He appeared to be looking at a photo album and drinking a cup of coffee. _"Man, he must be just as nervous about this whole thing as I am. I better just let him be. I need to be well rested to make sure things go well." _Aran got his water and headed back up to bed.

He slept a little longer, then he was awakened by Leina's sweet sounding voice. "Good morning Aran, I brought you some coffee. Medium cream, three sugars, right?"

She was wearing green silk tank-top pajamas, her shorts showing her long, lean, toned legs. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail that draped over her shoulder. _"Wow…she looks so beautiful. Green is my favorite color…especially now. Hehe." "_Thanks. Good morning, Leina. Did you sleep well?"

"I did." replied Leina with a smile. She sat down on his bed. Aran sat up, keeping his blanket up to his waist and bending his knees, making certain to hide any evidence of his attraction.

"Glad to hear it. This isn't such a bad way to wake up." He placed his hand right next to her bare leg, where he would "accidentally" brush up against it. Leina took a deep breath, and then smiled.

They locked eyes for a few moments, but then Leina snapped out of it and said, "Whoa, I need to get ready! Breakfast is almost done! See you there!"

"Of course. I'll meet you down there." Then Leina left the room. "_Dammit!" _Aran thought to himself. _"I know it hasn't been long but…jeesh!" _He got dressed and went to have breakfast.

Leina and Dylan have officially joined the Armasa group, per King Cid's request. Aran, Saraiah, and Markas could use all the help they could get.

* * *

"Ma'am, it would seem that a ship is approaching."

"Oh really, and who might that be? Biggs, run a scan on their ship."

"Yes ma'am. This is a Seiya warship from the planet Alterra. Registered to Princess Saraiah Rikkuo, with Aran Maleigha and Markas Weston as secondary owners."

"Aran Maleigha…Ryuden, what do you think we should do about our visitors?" said Katarin to Ryuden.

"Aran…Saraiah…hmmm. Let them come. I'll deal with them myself." came the reply. Ryuden was sitting in a chair, sipping a glass of red wine while wearing a black and purple, pointed black mage hat.

"You heard him. Biggs! Wedge! Open the gates and allow our friends in." said Katarin to her two main henchmen. The Armasa group members were in each of their own gunships at this point, and they all landed in the docking bay of Katarin's ship. "Now land this ship. We are approaching our outpost." said Katarin to Biggs and Wedge. "We shall bring our guests to our manor, and give them a proper welcome." she said. "They are all in the docking bay, release the knockout gas!"

The Armasas were seen dropping to the ground, one by one over the monitor. "I don't think that counts as 'letting me deal with them', Katarin!" snapped Ryuden.

"Please remain calm. I will contain them for you and you can do what you wish with them." said Katarin.

"Hmph. Very well." came the reply.

* * *

"Huh? Where are we? What happened to us?" said Saraiah as she regained consciousness.

"We appear to be in a dungeon…" said Aran. The five Armasa members were each in individual dungeon cells. This dungeon appeared to be medieval, a lot like the Seiyomari Castle.

"Ok, so how are we going to get out of this one?" asked Leina as she observed the gate.

"The locks are digital. They can only be opened remotely or with a keycard." said Dylan as he examined the locking mechanism.

"We would risk collateral damage if we try to blow it up." said Markas.

"Yeah, so I can't safely bust through here, and I don't think that would get all of us out. Maybe one of us can get out somehow…maybe I can try to break out and find a keycard." said Aran as he felt around his cell for a good spot to break through. Suddenly, the gates all unlocked and opened slightly. "Huh? What's going on here?" said Aran as he opened his gate further and walked out. The others followed suit.

"Hmph. There you all go. Now you can come after us. This should be amusing." said Ryuden to himself after he unlocked the cages from a remote computer.

"I wonder if…_he_ did it." said Aran.

"It's possible. He's completely fearless when it comes to fights." said Saraiah. "But…what is this creepy place?"

"It's Katarin's manor." said Dylan. "It's where she and her captured henchmen live and keep their prisoners."

"Ok, it's safe to assume that both Katarin and Ryuden are in this house." said Aran. "We need to split up. Leina, Markas, and Dylan, you take care of all of the henchmen you come across. Do not kill them. Just incarcerate them until this is over and we break the spell. Saraiah, I want you to go after Katarin. Go for the kill with her. I will go after Ryuden." said Aran, transitioning from a commanding tone to a somber one.

"Ok, we will come assist the two of you when we are finished." said Leina. They went their separate ways to begin the mission. Aran had Serileine's stun pistol/plasma wire with him as back up.

* * *

"You must be Katarin." Saraiah said as she entered Katarin's large office.

"And you must be the young princess, Saraiah. The sister of Ryuden's long lost love."

"That is correct. What have you done to him?" yelled Saraiah.

"Oh…he was just so handsome. Super hot, super sexy. I couldn't pass him up. When I heard that the princess Renaiya was kidnapped, and that he was her man, I couldn't resist. All these other stupid boys that I have here, they just weren't good enough to keep as a mate, just as lowly henchmen. You see, I used his emotions against him and I told him I knew where his woman was and that I would help him. He took the bait so easily and I put him under my spell. I must say that your sister must have been a _very_ happy woman. Hehehe."

"Don't tell me you….you trashy bitch! How dare you take advantage of him like that! You will pay for defiling Ryuden and his relationship with my sister! You will pay for taking him away from us!" yelled Saraiah as she prepared for a big fight.

"I won't let you take him from me!" shouted Katarin as she and Saraiah began to fight.

* * *

"Ah. You have found me."

"Ryuden, just stop this nonsense. Come home with us."

"No! You didn't care to help me find her. Now she's dead. You will pay for your selfishness, Aran."

"Ryuden…Renaiya's alive."

"You're lying, Aran. Don't toy with my emotions. Go back to your Serileine, since she's all you care about now."

Aran grimaced, then said, "Ryuden. Serileine is dead."

"My condolences, Aran. So, Renaiya is not alone, then."

"Ryuden, listen to me! Renaiya is alive! She contacted the King just yesterday! I have the video with me!"

"STOP LYING TO ME, ARAN!" shouted Ryuden.

"It's the truth! I'll show you now!" Aran loaded the video, and Ryuden watched it.

"What is this, Aran? You fabricated this video to try and trick me!" yelled Ryuden as he jerked the flash drive out of the computer, threw it on the floor, and crushed it with his boot.

"Damn it, Ryuden, snap out of it! Katarin has you under her spell, idiot!" yelled Aran as he slammed his fist down on the desk, damaging the desk.

"I don't know what this 'spell' is that you are blabbering about, but I'm under no spell! I'm a elite black mage and I would not be taken under some pitiful mind control! Get out of my sight, Aran. I refuse to come 'home' to you." snapped Ryuden as he turned his back to Aran.

Aran hung his head and showed obvious heartbreak for his cousin. "Please, Ryuden. We miss you, and we want you back. I will not 'get out of your sight'. Please, you have to believe me! She is alive!"

Ryuden turned around and observed the heartbreak in Aran's eyes, then said, "Pitiful emotions. They will only get you hurt in the long run. Be gone, or I will remove you by force."

Aran shed a single tear, then got in stance for battle. "Then prepare yourself, my brother!" he said in a serious, gruff tone. Aran wiped his eyes and charged for Ryuden. Ryuden quickly armed his staff and blocked Aran's punch. Aran grabbed the staff and struggled with Ryuden for a few seconds, then he kicked him in the abdomen, knocking him over. Ryuden launched a fireball at Aran, and Aran deflected it, causing damage in the room. "Ryuden, we don't have to do this! Just stop this shit and come home!"

"No! You must pay for what you refused to do!" Ryuden charged his foot with lightning and kicked Aran in the stomach, then stood back up.

Aran laid on the ground, clutching his stomach, as he said, "What…what was that?"

"I've learned to combine black magic with physical attacks. It makes for a challenging fight for my opponents, indeed."

Aran regained his composure and quickly jumped back up on his feet. He delivered a hard roundhouse, and Ryuden dodged and performed a back flip. Aran darted forward and landed a drop kick, slamming Ryuden into the ground. Ryuden rolled over and jumped back up, then cast Blizzard on Aran. Aran broke free from the ice and attacked Ryuden relentlessly. "This is ridiculous, Ryuden! I swear I will get you back home if I have to drag you back myself!"

"I'd love to see you try! CAST THUNDER!" The force of the thunder attack shattered the large window as Aran jumped behind a chair for cover. Ryuden found Aran and they continued fighting. Eventually, Aran grabbed his larger cousin by the collar, placed his foot on his abdomen as he rolled backwards and flipped Ryuden over him. Aran wasn't completely aware of where he was when he did that, and Ryuden landed just inches away from the wide open window that was several miles above a ravine and tumbled out.

"NO!" shouted Aran as he leapt out after him, his smaller size allowing him to descend quickly to Ryuden. He grabbed his cousin and used his plasma wire to grab hold of the ledge from where they fell. _"Phew, glad I had that with me!" _Aran thought to himself.

"Why did you save me, Aran? Why didn't you just let me fall to my death?" Ryuden asked in a distraught tone.

"Because you would not see Renaiya if you died. I swear, she's alive! She would be very heartbroken if something happened to you!" said Aran as he began retracting the plasma wire, pulling them up.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Aran and Ryuden heard a woman scream as she plummeted into the ravine below.

* * *

_Five minutes earlier._ "You're a tough little broad, aren't you!" shouted Katarin as she got slammed into the wall by Saraiah.

"You bet, and a super pissed off one at that!" screamed Saraiah as she belted Katarin in the face with her nunchucks. "Your stupid mind control will not work on me, you witch! Your control over Ryuden ends NOW!" Saraiah slammed Katarin into the window, causing it to crack, then Saraiah stabbed her in the chest and kicked her with enough force to knock Katarin through the window and cause her to plunge to her death in the ravine below. "Phew. That was one heck of a fight!" said Saraiah to herself, as her wounds started to heal. "I better go check on Aran and Ryuden…that may have done the trick!"

* * *

_Back to present. _"What the hell…where am I? What happened? Aran, how did you find me?" said Ryuden, confused.

"Katarin put you under her spell, just as I predicted she would." said Aran, with his arms crossed and an "I told you so" look on his face.

"You've got to be kidding me. How long was I under?" asked Ryuden.

"Three years, Ryuden."

"WHAT?"

"Yes. She had no intention of helping you find Renaiya. She just wanted _you_." said Aran.

Saraiah, Leina, Markas, and Dylan all entered the room. "We took care of the henchmen, then they came to their senses and went home. Saraiah informed me of Katarin's demise." said Leina.

"Nice work, all of you." said Aran, standing up.

"So explain to me what just happened here." said Ryuden. Aran explained everything that happened, and told him about Serileine and that Renaiya was alive. "Oh my gosh, that's terrible news about Serileine and your son. I'm glad to hear about Renaiya, though. She told you to come save me?"

"Yes, Ryuden, she did." said Saraiah.

"Wow…I'm so sorry you guys, for not listening." said Ryuden as he got on his knees. "It's all my fault. Serileine, Renaiya, everything. I'm responsible." Ryuden began to shed tears. "P-p-please try to forgive me. I-I-I understand if you don't, though!"

"Dude, it's not your fault! Sumestris killed Serileine. You being around would not have changed that! Of course we forgive you, and as for what went on between you and Katarin, you were under a powerful spell. As far as we are concerned, you have always been faithful to Renaiya. As for making the choice to go in the first place…that was pretty damn moronic of you." said Aran as he extended his hand to Ryuden.

"Well…thanks for saving me. To think I could have been a slave to Katarin for the rest of my life…" Ryuden heaved a sigh as he took Aran's hand and was helped to his feet.

"Welcome back, Ryuden!" said Saraiah excitedly as she hugged him.

Ryuden hugged her back and said, "It's good to be back. From now on I won't make anymore rash decisions. So who are our friends, here?"

Markas replied, "This is Leina Vance, she's a knight, and this is Dylan Frankewicz…or Frank. He's a doctor and the son of Sam and Charlie Frankewicz."

"Leina, Dylan, I'm Ryuden Lenore. It's a pleasure." Ryuden shook each of their hands as they expressed their happiness to meet him. "Dylan, you sure are tall. It'll be nice not to stand out quite so much now!"

Dylan and Ryuden both chuckled, and Saraiah said, "Ryuden, you still stand out…you certainly look unique! Hehehe!" then the group departed the manor and headed for their ships.

Ryuden was certainly not one to blend in. He has the good looks of his older cousin, and he is rather tall, along with having tan skin, light golden eyes, and chin length, choppy, straight black hair. His outfit covered every inch of his skin from the neck down and he wore a long, dark purple cape and sometimes, a pointy black hat.

* * *

"Daddy! Daddy! He's here! We brought him back!" exclaimed Saraiah as the Armasa group entered the royal chamber.

"Ryuden…" Cid walked up to him and then BAM! "Ugh!" yelled Ryuden as he hit the floor and grabbed his face. "Don't you EVER run off like that again! Do you understand? I've been worried sick about you over the past three years! I thought you were DEAD!" shouted Cid with emotion.

"I-I guess I had that coming…" said Ryuden, regaining his composure. Cid helped him up to his feet and gave him a big hug. "I'm sorry, King Cid." said Ryuden.

"Heh, I roughed him up real good for you already, Dad. But nice shot! Hehe." said Aran as he joined the hug.

"Anyways, it's getting late. I'm going to bed!" said Saraiah, and the others all followed suit.


End file.
